Journal

Exploring Frontline Shelter Staff Perspectives on the Healthcare Needs of Clients Experiencing Homelessness

Purpose

To examine healthcare service development needs for persons experiencing homelessness from the perspective of frontline staff at a homeless shelter in Montreal, Quebec.

Design

Qualitative descriptive design.

Methods

Purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews with frontline shelter staff (nā€‰=ā€‰8), and thematic analysis.

Findings

Themes included: 1) Challenges meeting healthcare service needs in a shelter environment. 2) Visions for improving healthcare services while accounting for health issues and barriers to care. 3) Participantsā€™ own knowledge gaps around health and healthcare services.

Conclusions

Future research should emphasize this groupā€™s crucial role in homelessness healthcare services development.