Characteristics and Health Care Utilization of Patients With Housing Insecurity in the ED

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818101?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--WFR0m6Ju91JFKcYfIfLxuYaH1_FaAAYLVUxE-t-mPpD5gOjsIioh3kr9XqZb1aDVSymSUWcUNP0y71b64TtWcvpDguQ&_hsmi=304722775&utm_content=304722775&utm_source=hs_email Housing insecurity prominent in one emergency department Last spring, more than 23,000 patients came through the emergency room and were screened for housing needs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. One in every 20 were homeless or experiencing housing insecurity — critical information for providers to support follow-up care. A study published Friday in JAMA Network Open details the ER’s findings: Suicide was a top concern for patients dealing with housing insecurity or homelessness, who were also more likely to be uninsured and have multiple visits to the emergency room. Readers should take a grain of salt when trying to extrapolate from studies focused on a single hospital or clinic, like this one. The authors noted that since the VUMC emergency department is frequently full, diverting ambulances to other institutions, the data may underestimate the prevalence of housing insecurity for those using emergency medical services in the area. To learn more, the authors wrote, more hospitals can implement similar screenings.