title: Providers of primary care to homeless women in Los Angeles County.
abstract: Little is known about the access barriers homeless women face at the sites where they are most likely to receive primary health care. To investigate this issue, we administered a mail survey to administrators and clinicians at clinic sites that were actual or potential providers of primary health care to homeless women in Los Angeles County in 1997. The response rate was 65%. Ninety percent of the homeless women seen by responding sites were seen at only 34% of those sites (designated as "major providers"). Deficiencies were identified in several structural and process characteristics that enhance access to and quality of care for homeless women, including clinician training in care for homeless persons; formal screening for homeless status and associated risk factors; and on-site provision of comprehensive health services, including mental health, substance abuse, reproductive health, and ancillary services. Some, but not all, deficiencies were less severe at major providers. Our results suggest that, although providers of care to homeless women share challenges faced by many safety net providers, there are several policy interventions that could improve access to and quality of care for homeless women.
authors: Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors: Jeff
authors: J
authors: Luck
authors: Ron
authors: R
authors: Andersen
authors: Suzanne
authors: S
authors: Wenzel
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Arangua
authors: Dalia
authors: D
authors: Wood
authors: Lillian
authors: L
authors: Gelberg
mesh_terms: D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data