SynthesisCJEM2021
Emergency department interventions for homelessness: a systematic review.
Synthesis in CJEM, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Homelessness and health-related outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies and randomized controlled trials.BMC medicine · 2022Pooled it
- What treatment and services are effective for people who are homeless and use drugs? A systematic 'review of reviews'.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Article
- Identifying Social Need Trends Among Emergency Department Super-Users: A Latent Class Analysis.The western journal of emergency medicine · 2026Article
- No Place to Rest: Housing Instability and Pain Experiences in the Emergency Department.Journal of emergency nursing · 2026Article
- Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease in Persons Experiencing Postpandemic Homelessness in Canada.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- A scoping review of interventions addressing social determinants of health and their influence on opioid use disorder outcomes.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2025Article
- The Value of Medical Toxicologists.Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology · 2025Article
- Article
- Strategies to Reduce Frequent Emergency Department Use among Persons Experiencing Homelessness with Mental Health Conditions: a Scoping Review.Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine · 2024Article
- Tracking deaths of people who have experienced homelessness: a dynamic cohort study in an Australian city.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Discharge process for patients experiencing homelessness in the emergency department: A thematic qualitative study.PloS one · 2024Article
- Hospital-based preventative interventions for people experiencing homelessness in high-income countries: A systematic review.EClinicalMedicine · 2022Review
- Multistage Psychometric Testing of the Homeless Health Access to Care Tool.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Optimizing Access to the COVID-19 Vaccination for People Experiencing Homelessness.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Scoping review: Scope of practice of nurse-led services and access to care for people experiencing homelessness.Journal of advanced nursing · 2022Article
- Article
- Social relationships, homelessness, and substance use among emergency department patients.Substance abuse · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe social determinants of health are economic and social conditions that contribute to health. Access to housing is a major social determinant of health and homeless patients often rely on emergency departments (EDs) for their healthcare. These patients are frequently discharged back to the street which further perpetuates the cycle of homelessness and negatively affects their health. Previous work has described the financial and systems implications of ED-housed interventions for homeless patients; this review summarizes ED-based interventions that seek to improve the social determinants of health of homeless patients.
methodsWe conducted a search of multiple databases and gray literature for studies investigating interventions for homelessness that were initiated in the ED. Studies had to use a control group or use a pre/post-intervention design and measure outcomes that demonstrate an effect on health or the social determinants of health.
resultsThirteen studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Two studies were housing first interventions and were effective in providing housing and improving health. Seven studies used variations of case management and were able to address many of the social needs of people who are homeless.
conclusionThis review demonstrated that ED interventions can be effective in improving the social determinants of health of homeless individuals and can be the place to initiate housing interventions. ED providers must advocate for the resources necessary to properly address the social needs of this marginalized population. Equipped with the proper resources, EDs can be one place where the cycle of homelessness is broken.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.