Introduction
deaths, overdose
SECONDARY
The individual, societal, health and economic burdens of homelessness and drug-related deaths are undisputed, overlap and are increasing [Experiencing a non-fatal overdose increases the odds of a subsequent fatal overdose [Helping people experiencing homelessness who have had an overdose requires a prior understanding of their detailed unmet health and social care needs. Previously, this understanding has come from studies describing secondary data e.g. using data linkage enabling inferences about populations [To date, published randomised controlled intervention trials targeting people experiencing homelessness with or without previous overdose (Additional file In Scotland, 2021 was the first year since 2013 where drug misuse deaths have not increased (1330 in 2021 vs 1339 in 2020) [It is not clear whether current approaches reduce overdoses or drug-related deaths in people with poly problem drug use.Management approaches focussed on addressing problem drug use may not address patients’ competing priorities. These include unmet mental and physical health needs or a need for stable housing, which are associated with worse outcomes [PHOENIx (This pilot study describes baseline findings from an ongoing pilot RCT. It fills gaps in our understanding of contemporary, comprehensive patient level health and social care needs, and tailored interventions aiming to improve outcomes in people experiencing homelessness. As a pilot RCT of a complex intervention, it follows a previous feasibility study [