The Perceptions of homeless people regarding their healthcare needs and experiences f receiving healthcare.

Aims. To understand the perspective of the homeless about their healthcare encounters and how their experiences of receiving healthcare influence their health-seeking behaviour.
Background. A phenomenological study was undertaken because of the increasing levels of homelessness in the United Kingdom. Most of the current literature is American or Canadian.
Design. An interpretive phenomenological inquiry.
Method. An opportunistic sample of fourteen single homeless adults was recruited from one male hostel and one non-residential day centre. Data collection was done in 2013. Semi-structured audio-recorded interviews were conducted one-to-one. Colaizzi’s method for data analysis was used.
Findings. Three major themes were identified. Expressed Health Need, Healthcare Experiences and Attitudes to health care. Health problems are recognised by the homeless but the need for intervention is not always prioritised. Obstacles in access to health care in the UK are both perceived (attitudes towards the homeless; previous bad experience) and actual (difficulty in registering with a general practitioner, difficulty travelling to services, being forced to move to new area). Some homeless people feel that they are treated with prejudice and receive substandard care. Positive healthcare experiences were also reported.
Conclusions. Positive and negative healthcare encounters can profoundly affect the homeless. Recommendations: Address apparent inconsistency of care; promote greater interdisciplinary communication and referrals to homeless services from prisons and hospitals; increase the availability of intermediate services; reduce obligation of homeless to move area; research experiences of homeless families

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: The perceptions of homeless people regarding their healthcare needs and experiences of receiving health care, which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.12675. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.