We aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the demographics, prevalence, and clinical characteristics, and evidence-based management of homeless persons in the Emergency Department (ED). Where appropriate, we highlight knowledge gaps and suggest directions for future research.
We conducted a systematic literature search following databases: PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar for articles published between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2016. We supplemented this search by cross-referencing bibliographies of the retrieved publications. Peer-reviewed studies written in English and conducted in the United States (US) that examined homelessness within the ED setting were included. We used a qualitative approach to synthesize the existing literature.
Twenty-eight studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Based on our study objectives and the available literature, we grouped articles examining homeless populations in the ED into four broad categories: 1) Prevalence and socio-demographic characteristics of homeless ED visits; 2) ED utilization by homeless adults; 3) Clinical characteristics of homeless ED visits; 4) Medical education and evidence-based management of homeless ED patients.
Homelessness may be under-recognized in the ED setting. Homeless ED patients have distinct care needs and patterns of ED utilization that are unmet by the current disease-oriented and episodic models of emergency medicine. More research is needed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of homelessness in the ED and to develop evidence-based treatment strategies in caring for this vulnerable population.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 295. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 04 October 2023.
All research outputs
#148,690
of 34,307,719 outputs
Outputs from Academic Emergency Medicine
#25
of 4,516 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#2,841
of 497,962 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Academic Emergency Medicine
#3
of 36 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,307,719 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 99th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,516 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 15.2. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 497,962 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 36 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 91% of its contemporaries.
