title: Health care of people in homelessness: a comparative study of mobile units in Portugal, United States and Brazil.
abstract: This paper describes and analyzes the legal and normative framework guiding the use of mobile units in Portugal, United States and Brazil, which seek to improve access and continuity of care for people in homelessness. We used a comparative analysis through literature and documentary review relating three categories: context (demographic, socio-economic and epidemiological), services system (access, coverage, organization, management and financing) and, specifically, mobile units (design, care and financing model). The analysis was based on the theory of convergence/divergence between health systems from the perspective of equity in health. Improving access, addressing psychoactive substances abuse, outreach and multidisciplinary work proved to be common to all three countries, with the potential to reduce inequities. Relationships with primary healthcare, use of vehicles and the type of financing are considered differently in the three countries, influencing the greater or lesser extent of equity in the analyzed proposals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Ana Costa 95/1º andar/Laboratório de Avaliação de Programas e Serviços de Saúde, Vila Mathias. 11060-001 Santos SP Brasil. igorsow@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Igor da Costa
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Borysow
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Florianópolis SC Brasil.
authors.forename: Eleonor Minho
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Conill
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Políticas Públicas e Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. São Paulo SP Brasil.
authors.forename: Juarez Pereira
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Furtado
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061889:Healthcare Financing; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011174:Portugal; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States