Performance of 2 Single-Item Screening Questions to Identify Future Homelessness Among Emergency Department Patients

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Abstract
The association of homelessness1,2 and housing insecurity3 with adverse health outcomes and higher health care costs has prompted increasing interest in screening for homelessness and housing insecurity in health care settings. A number of screening tools use self-reported information collected in clinical settings to identify homelessness or other forms of housing insecurity.4-8 Such tools may be particularly valuable for use in emergency departments (EDs) given evidence of increased rates of housing insecurity among ED patients,9-11 some of whom may not be using other forms of health care or may be experiencing health issues that could contribute to onset of homelessness. However, prior research on screening tools for housing instability have focused largely on their administration in outpatient4,5,12-14 or pediatric settings,6,15-19 with limited attention to the ED setting.

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