Revista de Enfermagem e Cuidados

A Systematic Review on the Intersection of Homelessness and Healthcare in Canada

Abstract

Vivian Darkwah, Hiroko Yamane, Solina Richter, Vera Caine, Geoffrey Maina, Thane Chambers and Leanne Johnson

Background: Nurses must understand the needs and barriers of people who are homeless when they are in a health care environment in order to render effective care.
Objective: The objective of this review is to synthesize research findings on studies that examine the needs and barriers of people who are homeless in Canada when they intersect with health care providers.
Methods: A scope of manuscripts, published in English from 1980 to 2011 that assess the needs and barriers of people experiencing homelessness in Canada when in the health sector without limitation on study design from different electronic databases and manual searches, was conducted.
Results: Six articles (N=4 qualitative, N=2 quantitative) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eight themes emerged from a narrative synthesis of the findings.
Conclusion: Individuals who are homeless have multiple needs when in the health care sector. Thus, collaboration among different disciplines is essential in order to provide them with holistic care.