Hi! Walid here, and today I will give you a quick rundown of the moral and legal considerations that influence how the treatment is coordinated in Dallas’s homeless shelters, particularly the Dallas Life Foundation. Before this discussion, I will briefly introduce healthcare coordination and explain how it influences health problems among Dallas’s homeless population. Next, I will go through the moral and policy considerations that impact how care is coordinated for homeless people in shelters. Finally, we will discuss the reasons that might lead to health inequalities and restrict the availability of healthcare. I will also examine the societal issues that have an impact on healthcare delivery.

As most of us know, homelessness is a complicated problem, and provision and stability of care coordination are not very simple in shelter homes. People are exposed to several dangerous illnesses by living in these overcrowded shelters. Chronic disease management becomes challenging, mainly when we consider that homeless people will be concentrated on their lifelong struggle for food and housing, pushing their medical requirements to the background. Homeless individuals are more likely to experience discomfort, mental health, and drug use issues (Bahrami et al., 2020).

Effect of Policies on Specific Communities

Accessibility is one of the main problems faced by homeless people. The nation’s medical system has a long history of being very fragmented. This implies that individuals must visit several locations or clinics for various ailments. Finding care for alcoholism, mental illness, and other disorders under one shelter is challenging. According to the Health coverage for Homeless Clinicians (HCH) Association, this is a worrisome scenario for homeless people, who may struggle to navigate these complicated systems and locate professionals they can trust to manage each problem. As a result, homeless shelters need a strategy that provides support services (Benavides & Nukpezah, 2020).

Continuity of care and adherence to treatment are interrelated; I will discuss both in this session. For homeless people, an integrated treatment that takes place on a continuity implies less complicated transportation and schedule considerations. Numerous mental and physical health concerns are being handled at one location, and therapy is tailored to each individual’s specific requirements. Let us discuss the regulations that the Dallas Life Foundation has implemented that impact care coordination (Giesler, 2019).

Example – Effect of HIPPA Policy on Care Coordination

A state policy known as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) tries to prevent the disclosure of private patient records to unauthorized parties. Consequently, HIPAA has not made it simple to provide homeless people with integrated treatment. According to a study, complete medical treatment requires various patient assessments, including physical, emotional, and interpersonal assessments. A patient’s history is composed of details from several previous physicians and details about their relatives, previous medical care, and economic standing. Due to HIPAA’s strict restrictions, physicians find it challenging to share this crucial data, which forces them to treat the symptoms rather than find a solution merely. Quality care depends heavily on healthcare professionals such as nurses, psychologists, physicians, general practice providers, and others exchanging truthful data. Social groups like the Dallas Life Foundation must become engaged when assisting the homeless. Social welfare groups may ask patients for permission to access their data, but doing so might postpone healthcare quality since the person often has to get permission directly at a provider’s appointment. Again, this is especially challenging for homeless communities with little access to travel and transit to acquire permission, and social care agencies must complete documentation, resulting in life-threatening complications (Jang et al., 2021).