CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING AN EDUCATION MODULE FOR ENHANCING STAFF EFFECTIVENESS WHEN CARING FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

Problem Statement: Individuals who are experiencing homeless often simultaneously experience mental illness, chronic disease, and general poor health. Though suffering from illness and injury, these individuals neglect to seek healthcare until their condition deteriorates to the point of intolerance. This unwillingness to seek care can be attributed to deficits in basic needs. However, the most commonly reported reasons are the feelings of judgment, discrimination, and powerlessness experienced when the decision is made to seek care. In addition, providers may fail to account for the unique challenges faced by homeless patients. This oversight could be attributed to the minimal education focused on the care of the homeless patient available in traditional healthcare education. Purpose: To address this knowledge gap, training centered on the care of homeless patients and adaptations to practice that can improve their care was implemented at the Institute for Human Services health center. Methods: Pre- and post-test survey tools were developed to gauge the staff's confidence, competence, and knowledge of adaptations for homeless healthcare before and after the implementation of the training. Additionally, a post-implementation patient satisfaction survey was piloted to provide data on the patient's experience in the clinic. Results: Following completion of the pre-and post-test survey, the means of the responses from the participants were analyzed using a t-Test, which revealed that participant's confidence and knowledge post-training completion was statistically significantly improved with controlled error (T-test, t= 3.01, p=.006). Discussion: This pilot training can be evolved and continue to be administered to improve the staff's ability to provide culturally attuned care sufficient to account for the unique needs of the homeless patient.