Street outreach clinics and walk-in in 'Cracolândia': an analysis of patient profiles in specialized service
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2025.v15.1476Keywords:
homeless person, street clinic, substance use disorder, crack, cracolandiaAbstract
Introduction: Substance use presents a significant challenge in large metropolises, especially in Open Drug Scenes like "Cracolândia" in São Paulo. This study aimed to compare the profile of patients referred by the Street Clinic (Consultório na Rua - CnaR) teams with those who sought treatment spontaneously at a specialized service located in "Cracolândia" Method: This was a retrospective observational study that analyzed 9,053 patient records from the Crack and Other Drugs Care HUB between June 2024 and January 2025. Sociodemographic data, substance use indicators, and mental health indicators were collected. Results: CnaR proved effective in referring a higher proportion of homeless individuals (74.22%), those from "Cracolândia" (82.50%), and Black (17.41%) and Pardo (55.82%) individuals, demonstrating its capacity to reach highly vulnerable groups. However, women were not adequately accessed. It was observed that individuals referred by CnaR showed a higher prevalence of crack (81.01%) and marijuana (62.42%) use, while individuals who arrived at the service by spontaneous demand showed a higher prevalence of synthetic cannabinoid use (20.68%). There was no significant difference, however, in indicators of suicide, abstinence, and psychotic symptoms between the groups. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that CnaR has reached diverse groups in its outreach and referral work. Nevertheless, the findings also highlight the importance of improving sensitivity and the capacity to welcome women.
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