Hospitalization in an urban homeless population: the Honolulu Urban Homeless Project.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the rate and estimate the cost of hospitalization in a defined urban homeless population.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


METHODS
Kalihi-Palama Health Clinic Health Care for the Homeless Project, Hawaii State Hospital and seven acute care hospitals in Honolulu, Hawaii.


METHODS
A total of 1751 homeless clients contacted between 1 December 1988 and 30 November 1990.


RESULTS
A total of 1751 individuals were studied for an aggregate of 871.3 person-years. Five hundred sixty-four hospitalizations were identified: ninety-two to the state psychiatric hospital and 472 to acute care hospitals. The age- and sex-adjusted hospitalization rate for acute care hospitals was 542/1000 person-years (compared with the state rate of 96/1000 person-years). Homeless persons were admitted to acute care hospitals for 4766 days compared with a predicted 640 days. The age- and sex-adjusted rate of admission to the state psychiatric hospital was 105/1000 person-years (compared with the state rate of 0.8/1000 person-years). Homeless persons were admitted to the state psychiatric hospital for 3837 days compared with a predicted 139 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Homeless individuals in this study were hospitalized in acute care and psychiatric hospitals far more frequently than were members of the general population.
Martell
J V
JV
University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu 96822.
Seitz
R S
RS
Harada
J K
JK
Kobayashi
J
J
Sasaki
V K
VK
Wong
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*