Street medicine as a strategy for caring for the homeless

DISCUSS: Street medicine as a strategy for caring for the homeless

Street Medicine as a Strategy for Caring for the Homeless

There are thousands of programs across the country that are designed to help the homeless in various ways. Some focus on housing, some focus on helping with addiction, some focus on income, and many focus on medical care because of the greater health problems experienced by the homeless.

Four years ago, my colleagues at USC launched a new initiative to deliver medical care directly to homeless individuals living on the streets. The idea was the bring medical care to patients rather than ask patients to come into an office to get care. This is a good model for almost anyone really but is particularly necessary for people that face incredible barriers to using the healthcare system in a typical fashion (e.g., making an appointment, getting to the appointment, and paying for the care).

You should start by reading this brief blog post about the Street Medicine program.  On google, search for  “https://www.themedicalcareblog.com/street-medicine-a-homeless-centered-medical-home/” you might also watch the TED talk Links of the founder of this program. On youtube, search for ” Street Medicine: Caring for the Homeless with Radical Humility | Brett Feldman | TEDxGrandPark” 

Then consider and write about some of the strengths and weaknesses of this street medicine strategy to help homeless individuals. Think, in particular, about what we have learned in this class about paying attention to more than a single risk factor for poor health. Does the Street Medicine program do enough, and could it be stronger by partnering with other programs?