Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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People experiencing homelessness may use emergency medical services to access health care. We sought to examine the relationship between homelessness and prehospital evaluation and treatment of chest pain. ⋯ Significant disparities were observed between patients experiencing and not experiencing homelessness in the prehospital treatment of chest pain. Larger scale evaluations are needed to further assess potential disparities in care for people experiencing homelessness in the prehospital setting. Using prehospital clinician impression as a proxy for acuity may mask existing bias and disparity; however, 12-lead ECG acquisition, the key diagnostic tool, was appropriately performed in more than 97% of all chest pain patients.