Use of social network analysis in health research: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Social networks can affect health beliefs, behaviours and outcomes through various mechanisms, including social support, social influence and information diffusion. Social network analysis (SNA), an approach which emerged from the relational perspective in social theory, has been increasingly used in health research. This paper outlines the protocol for a scoping review of literature that uses social network analytical tools to examine the effects of social connections on individual non-communicable disease and health outcomes.

Group Versus Individual Diabetes Education for Persons With Experience of Homelessness in Canada.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore various forms of diabetes self-management education (DSME), including group and individual sessions, for persons with lived experiences of homelessness (PWLEH) in Canada.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study using open-ended interviews with health care and homeless sector service providers was utilized to serve those experiencing homelessness in 5 cities across Canada. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was used to facilitate thematic analysis, focusing on variations in DSME for PWLEH.

Lessons learned from a virtual Community-Based Participatory Research project: prioritizing needs of people who have diabetes and experiences of homelessness to co-design a participatory action project.

In Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), people with shared lived experiences (co-researchers) identify priority needs and work collaboratively to co-design an action-oriented research advocacy project. For this to occur, academic researchers must build mutually respectful partnerships with co-researchers by establishing trust. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, our objective was to virtually assemble a group of co-researchers (people with diverse but relevant experiences of homelessness and diabetes) and academic researchers who engaged in the CBPR process to identify a project that would address the difficulties of diabetes management while experiencing homelessness.

Development and Implementation of a Medical Respite Program for People Experiencing Homelessness: An Analysis of a Cross-sectoral Partnership.

People with lived experience of homelessness (PWLEH) undergo worse health outcomes despite frequent acute care use, often because their functional and social needs remain unmet. In response, a homeless shelter and the provincial health authority formed a partnership to implement a medical respite program. We describe this collaboration by conducting a qualitative study, interviewing people involved in planning and implementing the program (n=25).

Perceived discharge quality and associations with hospital readmissions and emergency department use: a prospective cohort study.

Background: At hospital discharge, care is handed over from providers to patients. Discharge encounters must prepare patients to self-manage their health, but have been found to be suboptimal. Our study objectives were to describe and determine the correlates of perceived discharge quality and to explore the association between perceived discharge quality and postdischarge outcomes.

Developing and evaluating a SAFER model to screen for diabetes complications among people experiencing homelessness: a pilot study protocol.

Background: Diabetes management combined with housing instability intersects, forcing individuals to triage competing needs and critical stressors, such as safety and shelter, with fundamental diabetes self-management tasks like attending healthcare appointments to screen for the complications of diabetes, leaving individuals overwhelmed and overburdened. We aim to address this disjuncture found within our current healthcare delivery system by providing point-of-care screening opportunities in a more patient-centered approach.

Method: We describe a pilot study of a novel clinical intervention which provides timely, comprehensive, and accessible screening for diabetes complications to people experiencing homelessness.

Accessing Diabetes Specialty Care for Persons With Lived Experience of Homelessness in Canada: Challenges and Opportunities.

Objectives: Persons with lived experience of homelessness face many challenges in managing their diabetes, including purchasing and storing medications, procuring healthy food and accessing health-care services. Not only do these individuals have challenges in accessing primary care, they are also seen by diabetes specialists (endocrinologists, diabetes educators, foot- and eye-care specialists) less frequently.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using open-ended interviews of 96 health and social care providers across 5 Canadian cities (Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto).

Using concept mapping to prioritize barriers to diabetes care and self-management for those who experience homelessness.

Background: Diabetes is a chronic medical condition which demands that patients engage in self-management to achieve optimal glycemic control and avoid severe complications. Individuals who have diabetes and are experiencing homelessness are more likely to have chronic hyperglycemia and adverse outcomes. Our objective was to collaborate with individuals experiencing homelessness and care providers to understand the barriers they face in managing diabetes, as a first step in identifying solutions for enhancing diabetes management in this population.