Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

Fall 10-5-2026

Abstract

Background: Individuals experiencing housing instability are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases, including hypertension, yet often face significant barriers to preventive healthcare and longitudinal disease management. Street medicine programs provide healthcare directly to medically underserved populations, but limited data exist describing the prevalence of hypertension among patients receiving these services.

Objectives: To characterize the prevalence of hypertension among patients receiving care through Knoxville Street Medicine Outreach (KSMO) and describe the demographic characteristics and housing status of this population.

Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted using de-identified electronic medical records from KSMO. Patient encounters between June 2024 and July 2026 were reviewed. Patients with a documented diagnosis of hypertension were identified. Demographic characteristics and housing status were collected, and descriptive statistics were performed using Microsoft Excel and R.

Results: Among 605 patients receiving care through KSMO, 120 (19.8%) had a documented diagnosis of hypertension. The mean age of hypertensive patients was 53.6 years, and 68 (56.7%) were male. Most patients with hypertension were unhoused (68, 56.7%), followed by temporarily housed (45, 37.5%) and permanently housed (7, 5.8%).

Conclusions: Approximately one in five patients receiving street medicine services had a documented diagnosis of hypertension, with more than 94% experiencing housing instability. These findings demonstrate a substantial burden of hypertension among medically underserved patients and highlight the role of community-based outreach programs in identifying chronic disease among individuals who may have limited access to traditional healthcare. Further research evaluating hypertension management and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in this population is warranted.

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