Homeless people's experiences with health services

Abstract

Objectives: To understand homeless people's experiences with Street Clinics and other health services. Method: Qualitative research using semi-structured interviews. The data were obtained during December 2022 at a municipal service specialized in assisting Street People (SP), in the inland of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Data analysis was based on hermeneutic-dialectic thinking, employing the Donabedian triad as a theoretical paradigm. Results: Nine users assisted by the Street Clinics took part in the research, and two thematic categories were developed: 1 - Experiences in the Unified Health System; and 2 - Access of the homeless population to health care resources. Conclusion: There was plurality of homeless people's experiences with health services. In addition, the importance given to the street clinics by the interviewees was noted, given their role as restorers of the homeless individuals' rights, guaranteeing their access to available health resources.