Opportunities for engaging low-income, vulnerable populations in health care: A systematic review of homeless persons' access to and use of information technologies

D.K. McInnes, A.E. Li and T.P. Hogan

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue S2, e11-e24

Abstract: We systematically reviewed the health and social science literature on access to and use of information technologies by homeless persons by searching 5 bibliographic databases. Articles were included if they were in English, represented original research, appeared in peer-reviewed publications, and addressed our research questions. Sixteen articles met our inclusion criteria. We found that mobile phone ownership ranged from 44% to 62%; computer ownership, from 24% to 40%; computer access and use, from47%to 55%; and Internet use, from 19% to 84%. Homeless persons used technologies for a range of purposes, some of whichwere health related. Many homeless persons had access to information technologies, suggesting possible health benefits to developing programs that link homeless persons to health care through mobile phones and the Internet.

Keywords: computer; health care delivery; health status; homelessness; human; Internet; mobile phone; poverty; review; statistics; United States; vulnerable population; computer; homelessness; mobile phone; poverty; statistics and numerical data; vulnerable population, Cellular Phone; Computers; Health Services Accessibility; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Humans; Internet; Poverty; United States; Vulnerable Populations, Cell Phones; Computers; Health Services Accessibility; Health Status; Homeless Persons; Humans; Internet; Poverty; United States; Vulnerable Populations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301623_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301623

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