Process Indicators of Dental Care Delivery to Homeless Individuals in a Specialized Socially Oriented Clinic: A Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Access to dental care for people experiencing homelessness remains a significant challenge in healthcare organization due to social, organizational, and legal barriers. In the context of limited engagement of this population in planned medical care, the analysis of process indicators in specialized socially oriented settings is particularly relevant.

AIM: To characterize process indicators of dental care delivery to homeless individuals in a specialized socially oriented dental clinic.

METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted using anonymized medical records from a specialized clinic for the period 2022–2025. Socio-demographic characteristics, service utilization, volume and structure of dental procedures, repeat visits, and contacts across different calendar years were analyzed. The analysis was descriptive and included absolute and relative values, medians, and interquartile ranges.

RESULTS: Data from 547 patients were analyzed. The cohort was socially heterogeneous in terms of living conditions and availability of identity documents. Changes in the number of unique patients, total visits, and dental procedures were observed across the study years. The structure of care included diagnostic, surgical, therapeutic, and preventive procedures, with variations over time. A proportion of patients had repeated visits, including contacts in two or more calendar years.

CONCLUSION: The findings describe organizational features of dental care delivery to homeless individuals in a specialized socially oriented clinic and may be used for planning and analyzing care models for socially vulnerable populations. Study limitations are related to the retrospective design and single-clinic data.