Thread by @MKushel

"He was just not who I would have typically thought about as homeless..." Important paper re: screening for housing status in VA by @manikchhabra in @JournalGIM. VA is leader in screening for housing in health settings--in study HCP split on role (who should do it & why) 1/X

https://twitter.com/manikchhabra/status/1121218443225837570

But: 1) note how standard screening challenges their preconceived (& often inaccurate) view on who is homeless 2) changes clinical practice. Agree w all--and FWIW, fully believe (to borrow phrase) #thisisourlane. There is no medicine as powerful as housing. We have to ask! 2/X

Glad @SIREN_UCSF starting to do work on patient's view. I screen all patients & find many who no one else knows (bc "don't look homeless") & knowing changes how we understand & treat pt. I do shared decision-making w pt re: coding in #EHR bc of stigma re homelessness. 3/X

We can't know what we don't measure. Homelessness comes in many forms, but always devastating. 1) We need tools we can trust (i.e validated measures) and 2) we need to engage w ppl w lived experience to develop best practices 3) need to act on what we find 4/end