Evaluation of a One Health Clinic: Enhancing access to healthcare and housing for young adults experiencing homelessness with animals

Abstract

Abstract The One Health Clinic (OHC) is a transdisciplinary approach to healthcare services delivery, providing low-barrier healthcare and community services for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and their companion animals that integrate human, animal, and environmental health. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of an OHC model in a youth and young adult shelter on access to healthcare, housing, and community resources. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with six OHC client participants and three provider participants, and a thematic analysis was used to study the effects of the OHC model on two key outcomes: overall health for humans and their companion animal(s), and access to public services for humans and their companion animal(s). Results showed that the OHC model provides multiple services in one place which reduces barriers to accessing health services, housing, and community resources. The integrated healthcare services promote positive interactions with providers and facilitate access to healthcare, housing, and community resources for PEH and their companion animals. Settings with similar goals of client health and access to healthcare, as well as housing services and community resources, can utilize the OHC care model to integrate services for lower barrier access to healthcare and community services to promote health on an individual level and from a One Health perspective. One Health impact statement Our study on the OHC model demonstrates the tangible impact of integrating healthcare services for homeless young adults and their companion animals. In the One Health context, our work addresses the complex interplay between human, animal, and environmental well-being. By bridging healthcare, housing, and community resources, the OHC model enhances access and reduces barriers. The One Health approach enriches impact, as collaboration across sectors yields multifaceted benefits. The transdisciplinary nature of our research fuses academic and non-academic knowledge, ensuring a holistic perspective. Practical solutions emerge from diverse insights, transcending traditional boundaries. This co-produced transformational knowledge facilitates real-world change, impacting lives, promoting resilience, and fostering sustainability. The OHC model exemplifies how cooperative, transdisciplinary efforts yield breakthroughs that elevate health, save lives, and nurture the optimal environment for people and their companion animals to live, work, and play.

Keywords

• One Health,
• human-animal bond
• integrated healthcare,
• healthcare access
• homelessness