Patient satisfaction for homeless women

Patient satisfaction is a key quality of care indicator for which little is known for the homeless women population. We hypothesized that homeless women who last visited homeless-focused healthcare sites (shelter/outreach clinics and mobile vans) will have higher satisfaction ratings than homeless women who last visited county/government clinics. This association was also tested using the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations.

Data were gathered on 974 homeless women aged 15-44 in a probability cluster sample of 60 shelters and 18 meal programs in Los Angeles County. The homeless women participated in 45-minute interviews.

Our hypothesis was partially supported, as shelter and outreach clinics were positively and significantly associated with greater quality satisfaction (beta = 10.2, p < 0.001). Healthcare at private doctors' offices was also associated with quality, access, and appointment satisfaction when compared with care received at county/government clinics (beta = 15.9, p < 0.001; beta = 8.6, p < 0.05; beta = 16.3, p < 0.01).

Policymakers should encourage healthcare sites that serve homeless women to improve their care by learning from shelter/outreach clinics and private doctors.