This resource, developed by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, provides valuable information about Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia and Heart Failure, its effects on homeless patients and the subsequent treatment recommendations.

Clinicians with extensive experience caring for individuals who are homeless routinely adapt their medical practice to foster better outcomes for these patients.

Standard clinical practice guidelines often fail to take into consideration the unique challenges faced by homeless patients that may limit their ability to adhere to a plan of care. Recognizing the gap between standard clinical guidelines and clinical practices used by health care providers experienced in the care of individuals who are homeless, the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Clinicians’ Network has made the adaptation of clinical practice guidelines for homeless patients one of its top priorities.

An Advisory Committee comprised of seven health and social service providers experienced in the care of homeless individuals with cardiovascular diseases devoted several months during 2003–2004 to development of these adapted clinical guidelines, drawing from their own experience and from that of their colleagues in Health Care for the Homeless projects across the United States. The adaptations reflect their collective experience in serving homeless people with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and/or heart failure.

We hope these recommendations provide helpful guidance to primary care providers serving individuals who are homeless, and that they will contribute to improvements in both quality of care and quality of life for these patients. (Authors)