title: Preliminary needs assessment of mobile technology use for healthcare among homeless veterans.
abstract: Background. Homeless veterans have complex healthcare needs, but experience many barriers to treatment engagement. While information technologies (IT), especially mobile phones, are used to engage patients in care, little is known about homeless veterans' IT use. This study examines homeless veterans' access to and use of IT, attitudes toward health-related IT use, and barriers to IT in the context of homelessness. Methods. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 homeless veterans in different housing programs in Boston, MA, ranging from emergency shelters to supportive transitional housing that allow stays of up to 2 years. Interviews were conducted in person, audio recorded and then transcribed. Three researchers coded transcripts. Inductive thematic analysis was used. Results. Most participants (90%) had a mobile phone and were receptive to IT use for health-related communications. A common difficulty communicating with providers was the lack of a stable mailing address. Some participants were using mobile phones to stay in touch with providers. Participants felt mobile-phone calls or text messages could be used to remind patients of appointments, prescription refills, medication taking, and returning for laboratory results. Mobile phone text messaging was seen as convenient, and helped participants stay organized because necessary information was saved in text messages. Some reported concerns about the costs associated with mobile phone use (calls and texting), the potential to be annoyed by too many text messages, and not knowing how to use text messaging. Conclusion. Homeless veterans use IT and welcome its use for health-related purposes. Technology-assisted outreach among this population may lead to improved engagement in care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Edith Nourse Rogers VA Hospital , Bedford, MA , USA ; Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health , Boston, MA , USA.
authors.forename: D Keith
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Edith Nourse Rogers VA Hospital , Bedford, MA , USA ; Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health , Boston, MA , USA.
authors.forename: Gemmae M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fix
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Edith Nourse Rogers VA Hospital , Bedford, MA , USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Edith Nourse Rogers VA Hospital , Bedford, MA , USA.
authors.forename: Beth Ann
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Petrakis
authors.affiliation: VA National Center on Homelessness among Veterans , Philadelphia, PA and Bedford, MA , USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, MA , USA ; School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts , Lowell, MA , USA.
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sawh
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Edith Nourse Rogers VA Hospital , Bedford, MA , USA ; VA National Center on Homelessness among Veterans , Philadelphia, PA and Bedford, MA , USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, MA , USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Smelson
keywords: Access to care; Engagement in care; Health informatics; Health information technology; Homeless persons; Mobile phones; Outreach; Veterans; Vulnerable populations