Storytelling to Capture the Health Care Perspective of People Who Are Homeless

Abstract

Utilizing a hermeneutic philosophical approach, the researchers explored the perceptions and experiences of people who are homeless in Mobile, Alabama, receiving health care and interacting with health care providers. Using the voice of the participants, discussions among the researchers, and supporting literature reinforcing key concepts, a framework was created illustrating the lived experience. The following themes were identified: social determinants of health, compromised systems, professionalism, dehumanization, engagement, and downward trajectory. The experiences described and themes identified indicate a breakdown in therapeutic relationships between homeless individuals and health care providers, contributing to the continuing destabilization common in this population.