Four Years of Voluntary Health Service among Homeless Persons in Rome

Homeless persons suffer of a range of medical conditions due to them life style, and face many challenges in accessing and utilizing public health services. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the utility of a travelling health care for homeless and to find the most usefull health skills necessary to voluntary physician. A retrospective cross-sectional study along four years was developed among a sample of 310 male and female homeless, epidemiological characteristics of patients, and treatments carried out were evaluated. Voluntary physician needs of multiple skills to treat the homeless, as basic knowledge of infective and dermatological disease. Physician bag must always contain medications materials (such as bandages, gauze, disinfectant, surgical instrument and oint-ments) and the most demanding drugs therapy as NSAIDS, antibiotics, gastric protectors, corticosteroids, respiratory, hypoglycemic, tranquilizers, antihistamines, antihypertensive and minor opioid. The role of physician is also related to survey public health and to limit suspect cases of violence within community through notification to the competent sanitary and judicial authority.