ABSTRACT
This retrospective study assesses the prevalence of otolaryngology (OTO) disease in houseless patients on O'ahu based on data from the Houseless Outreach and Medical Education (HOME) clinics, a medical student-run, primary health care service. It is important to note that this data represents only a snapshot in time of the OTO diseases present in this population. Records were examined from September 3, 2020 to September 30, 2021. Patients with at least 1 OTO disease were included in this study. A total of 597 patient records were reviewed; a total of 58 patients were included in this study. The most common OTO diagnoses in this sample were facial trauma (n = 12, 21%), dental caries (n = 7, 12%), cerumen impaction (n = 6, 10%), viral upper respiratory infection (n = 5, 9%), otitis media (n = 4, 7%), and allergic conjunctivitis (n = 3, 5%). Roughly 10% of patients seen in HOME clinics between September 2020 and September 2021 were seen for OTO disease.
