Assessing Impact of Community Health Nurses on Improving Primary Care Use by Homeless/Marginally Housed Persons

Abstract

This study invited a cross-sectional sample of 112 homeless/marginally housed adults in New Haven, CT to respond to a structured survey questionnaire. Seventy-six individuals responded. Among them, 39 (51%) had utilized primary care services during the preceding 2 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, housing status, health insurance status, and self-reported health status found that having utilized primary care services was significantly associated with having regular contact with a community health nurse. This finding indicates that community health nurses may have a significant influence in increasing primary care service utilization by homeless and marginally housed individuals.