Programmatic impact of 5 years of mortality surveillance of New York City homeless populations

M. Gambatese, D. Marder, E. Begier, A. Gutkovich, R. Mos, A. Griffin, R. Zimmerman and A. Madsen

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue S2, S193-S198

Abstract: A homeless mortality surveillance system identifies emerging trends in the health of the homeless population and provides this information to key stakeholders in a timely and ongoing manner to effect evidence-based, programmatic change. We describe the first 5 years of the New York City homeless mortality surveillance system and, for the first time in peer-reviewed literature, illustrate the impact of key elementsof sustained surveillance (i.e., timely dissemination of aggregate mortality data and real-time sharing of information on individual homeless decedents) on the programs of New York City's Department of Homeless Services. These key elements had a positive impact on the department's programs that target sleep-related infant deaths and hypothermia, drug overdose, and alcohol-related deaths among homeless persons.

Keywords: alcoholism; article; drug overdose; health status; homelessness; human; hypothermia; infant; infant mortality; mortality; premature mortality; retrospective study; risk factor; sentinel surveillance; statistics; United States; epidemiology; homelessness; mortality; statistics and numerical data; trends; United States, Alcoholism; Drug Overdose; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Humans; Hypothermia; Infant; Infant Mortality; Mortality; Mortality, Premature; New York City; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sentinel Surveillance, Alcoholism; Drug Overdose; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Humans; Hypothermia; Infant; Infant Mortality; Mortality; Mortality, Premature; New York City; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sentinel Surveillance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.301196_0

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.301196

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