HOUSED BEDS: A Clinical Tool for Taking a History on an Unsheltered Homeless Patient

The unsheltered homeless population requires a specific set of history questions to better understand their reality and how any treatment plan will fit into the context of their lives. In order to reach a higher level of understanding, population-specific history questions are necessary to accurately assess their history, access to resources, and priorities. A specific set of history questions to address this need in a concise manner has not been published. An acronym, HOUSED BEDS, is proposed to assist any clinical provider or clinical student in taking a history of an unsheltered patient. This acronym is designed to ask high yield questions that will help all members of the patient’s health care team adapt treatment plans, from housing applications to medication prescriptions, for patients who are currently unsheltered. A POCKET CARD can be found on the last two pages of this document.