Hospitalizations of Homeless May Be on the Rise
(WorldNews Health)

An estimated 553,000 individuals are homeless — lacking fixed and reliable housing — on any given night in the United States. In a new study, researchers looked at patterns, causes and outcomes of acute hospitalizations between 2007 and 2013 for homeless individuals and non-homeless control groups in three populous and diverse U.S. states: Florida, California and Massachusetts. The findings, published in the journal Medical Care, suggest an increase in acute hospital use among homeless individuals, particularly for mental illness and substance use disorder. Acute care is defined as active short-term care for a severe illness, medical condition or injury. “The homeless...