Negotiating the service system: Professionals and patients talk about healthcare for the homeless in a Midwestern City in the U.S.

Abstract

Abstract This article presents and discusses themes generated from in-depth interviews with 10 key informants and four homeless adults in a medium-sized city in the Midwest, United States. The purpose of the interviews was to gain an understanding of the healthcare system that was in place for the homeless, both from the perspective of professionals and consumers alike. Key informants represented the major medical and social service agencies involved in the provision of healthcare services for the homeless in this city. Based on these interviews, the following themes were generated and are presented here for analysis and discussion: Lack of Services, Need for Medicaid, Coordination of Care, Lack of End-of-Life Care, and Suggestions for Change. Practice implications are presented.