1. Programmatic Impact of 5 Years of Mortality Surveillance of New York City Homeless Populations.
- Author
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Gambatese, Melissa, Marder, Dova, Begier, Elizabeth, Gutkovich, Alexander, Mos, Robert, Griffin, Angela, Zimmerman, Regina, and Madsen, Ann
- Subjects
MORTALITY risk factors ,PUBLIC health surveillance ,HOMELESS persons ,CORONERS ,CAUSES of death ,RESEARCH methodology ,PREVENTIVE health services ,CITY dwellers ,ACCESS to information ,HUMAN services programs ,RETROSPECTIVE studies - 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 elements of 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
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