Access to healthcare for people experiencing homelessness in the UK and Ireland: a scoping review

Abstract

Background People experiencing homelessness (PEH) have poorer physical and mental health than the general population. They are also more likely to have less access to healthcare. These processes of access can be better understood using Levesque’s access framework which addresses both supply (service provision) and demand (user abilities). Methods Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, electronic peer-reviewed databases were searched in February 2022 for studies published since 2000 related to access to healthcare for PEH ages 16 and older in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland. Retrieved articles were screened and those eligible were selected for data extraction. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included. Results Fifty-six papers out of 538 identified were selected and aliased. Six main themes were identified: staff education, flexibility of systems, service coordination, patient preparedness, complex health needs and holistic care. These relate to the Levesque access framework. Conclusions Improving access to healthcare for PEH requires changes to how services are provided and how service-user abilities are supported.

Real-time evaluation of a multi-agency TB-screening event for persons experiencing homelessness in a town with a low incidence of TB in England

“…Whilst we involved our VCSO in promoting our event, their presence was limited during our screening event itself. Trusted partners within health delivery are known to be especially important when designing services for PEH [ 30 ]. Our local VCSO partner was consulted separately in planning the event but was not involved directly in our IMT meetings.…”

Factors affecting implementation of interventions for oral health, substance use, smoking and diet for people with severe and multiple disadvantage: a community-based qualitative study in England

“…A scoping review reiterates our findings and reports that rigid appointments were criticised in other studies and suggested that longer duration of appointments to address complex needs and flexible timings would make it easier for support workers and people experiencing homelessness to arrive at the health centres. 23 At a more macrolevel, the intersection between health and housing has been widely and globally recognised as affecting people experiencing SMD. 24 25 The interventions encompassing changes at the environmental, organisational and interpersonal levels will only be successful if they are implemented in cohesion with improving the social determinants of health.…”

The experience of living with obesity for adults in Asian countries: A scoping review of qualitative studies

“…19 This guideline has been used and cited by scoping review groups around the world in various health disciplines. [21][22][23][24] Our review protocol is available on the Open Science Framework (OSF) website (https://osf.io/bwnvt/). We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (the PRISMA-ScR) as the reporting guideline.…”

“…The JBI guidance for conducting scoping reviews is one of the chapters in the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis published by the JBI Collaboration 19 . This guideline has been used and cited by scoping review groups around the world in various health disciplines 21‐24 . Our review protocol is available on the Open Science Framework (OSF) website (https://osf.io/bwnvt/).…”