"Cellphones are everywhere, including in the hands of homeless people, a population among America's sickest - average life expectancy is just 51 - and among the hardest to reach by healthcare workers."
"It's also a population not often associated with technology, which comes with utility bills, internet service, and cellphone provider plans."
"But a pandemic era innovation - telehealth for homeless people - still offers a way for today's providers to reach homeless patients more frequently and reliably than traditional office visits."
"A lot of people are struggling with substance use, mental health symptoms, and executive functioning while trying to meet basic needs of food, water, and clothing, making it hard for people to come to a clinic appointment in a timely manner."
Cellphones are widespread among people experiencing homelessness, despite assumptions that technology access is limited. That population has an average life expectancy of about 51 and is among the hardest to reach by healthcare providers. Telehealth adoption during the pandemic created new pathways for contact and care, enabling more frequent and reliable connections than traditional office visits. Telehealth clinic days produced lower patient-missed-appointment rates than in-person days. Many unhoused patients contend with substance use, mental health symptoms, and executive-functioning challenges while meeting basic needs, making timely clinic attendance difficult. Ongoing research seeks to refine telehealth strategies and evaluate outcomes for this population.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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