‘It’s so simple’ Lessons from the margins: a qualitative study of patient experiences of a mobile health clinic in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Objective Our study explored the experiences of clients of HAMSMaRT (Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team), a mobile health service, in the context of their experiences of the overall healthcare system.Design We conducted a qualitative study with reflexive thematic analysis.Setting HAMSMaRT is a mobile health service in Hamilton, Ontario Canada providing primary care, internal and addiction medicine and infectious diseases services.Participants Eligible participants were clients of HAMSMaRT who could understand English to do the interview and at least 16 years of age. Fourteen clients of HAMSMaRT were interviewed.Results Our findings represented five themes. When the themes of people deserve care, from the margins to the centre, and improved and different access to the system are enacted, the model of care works, represented by the theme it works!. The way in which participants compared their experiences of HAMSMaRT to the mainstream healthcare system insinuated how simple it is, represented by the theme it’s so simple.Conclusions Our findings offer guidance to the broader healthcare system for walking from the rhetoric to practice of person-centred care.