Street Medicine: Expanding the Frontiers of Primary Care

Introduction.Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States.As the number of those experiencing homelessness continues to rise, so do their healthcare needs.Free health clinics and Street Medicine teams, such as Care Beyond the Boulevard (CBB) in Kansas City, are a perfect example of community resources that help address the health concerns of this population.This study examines the work of CBB as a sample of Street Medicine teams to better understand the needs of the population it serves and the medical conditions for which they are most commonly treated.Methods.A retrospective chart review was conducted from patient encounters beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending on December 31, 2024, for patients receiving care from CBB.The following information was collected: race, sex, homelessness status, encounter date, appointment type, and visit diagnoses.Inclusion criteria were any encounter with an appointment type of New Patient, Established Patient, or Medication Refill.Results.In total, 15,911 encounters from 4,125 patients were reviewed.From these findings, the most commonly treated diagnosis was hypertension.Other frequently treated diagnoses included diabetes mellitus (types 1 and 2), obstructive lung disease (COPD/asthma), and mental health disorders. Conclusions.This data set provides evidence to support the practice of Street Medicine as a subset of primary care, replacing the traditional healthcare system for individuals who are lowincome and/or experiencing homelessness.More teams like CBB are needed to help this population gain access to both preventative and mental healthcare services.