The use of health services by women living homeless in Madrid, Spain

Abstract

Women living homeless make up a particularly vulnerable and significantlyinvisible collective, about which there is little information regarding the use of healthservices. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of health services by a sample ofwomen living homeless in Madrid, Spain (n=138). The information was compiled using astructured interview. Results show that women living homeless largely make use healthservices (e.g. emergency care, hospitalisation, out-patient treatment...) and tend to feelsatisfied with them. However, a significant percentage of women living homeless did nothold a National Health Insurance Card, expressed dissatisfaction with the health servicesand said that they not received medical care at a time when they considered it necessary.Some of the issues affected, to a greater extent, older women living homeless, foreignwomen and those who had abused drugs at some point in their lives.