Background: The pilot Inclusion Health Service was a multi-component intervention designed to improve outcomes for adults experiencing homelessness accessing hospital care. The objectives of this report are to describe the development and evaluation of the Inclusion Health Service.
Method: Observational study reporting on a multi-component intervention including comprehensive assessment and case management of homeless adult inpatients, case management advice to emergency department- and community-based health, and social care providers and education sessions for hospital and community-based staff.
Results: The Inclusion Health Service assessed and developed a comprehensive discharge plan for 262 patients admitted to the hospital. 51 weekly interagency case management meetings took place during the one-year pilot. Additional interventions included education sessions for hospital and community-based health and social care providers; case management advice to ED and community-based health providers and provision of clothes and personal hygiene items to homeless inpatients. During the intervention, declines in the rate of ED presentations and admissions for homeless adults, compared with the prior year, were observed in the participating hospital. Lengths of stay remained the same.
Conclusion: An Inclusion Health assessment and integrated discharge plan are feasible and acceptable and may have reduced the need for unscheduled healthcare.