Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Refugees' Perceptions Of Primary Care: What Makes A Good Doctor's Visit?, Anne Mutitu, Bev Zabler, Jeana M. Holt

Patient Experience Journal

Redesigning primary care is a national priority, as the United States (US) struggles with issues of poor access, high cost, and suboptimal quality. Refugees are among the populations who suffer from America’s disjointed health care system, resulting in disproportionate health disparities. Although there are many studies on refugee health, few share refugees' perceptions of primary care. We asked local refugees who were seen for primary care services at a midwestern academic nurse-led clinic, what makes a good doctor's visit?  The clinic served as the hub of a federally funded refugee Community Centered Health Home (CCHH) pilot project. This qualitative study …

Health-Seeking Behavioral Patterns Among Refugee Groups – A Case-Study In South-Central Kentucky, Chika Ejike, Grace Lartey, Randy Capps, David Ciochetty

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Each year, thousands of people get displaced from their homes due to genocide, famine, civil wars and other crises in their countries. The United States has traditionally been receptive to resettling refugees. These refugees view resettlement as an opportunity to obtain proper health care. Due to the diverse cultural identities of refugee populations, it is essential to research complex culturally dependent healthcare utilization patterns. A purposeful sample of four refugees from the Burmese, Congolese and Iraqi refugee communities in south-central Kentucky- completed interviews. They shared experiences and insights from their cultural points of view. Results showed demographic factors directly impacted …

Refugee Women's Needs: The Athens Case, Melissa J. Diamond

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Medicins sans Frontiers estimates that twenty-five per cent of new asylum-seeking arrivals in Athens in 2016 were women [1]. Despite the sizable number of women asylum seekers arriving in Athens, women’s voices are often excluded from research on refugee needs. This research sought to understand the needs of women asylum seekers in Athens through the collection of qualitative data on their needs and experiences upon arriving in Athens. Twelve women from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries (background withheld for confidentiality) participated. The sampled women demonstrated an acute understanding of their own needs and the needs of their communities. While many …

Designing The Arriving Refugee Informatics Surveillance And Epidemiology (Arive) System: A Web-Based Electronic Database For Epidemiological Surveillance, William A. Mattingly, Ruth M. Carrico, Timothy L. Wiemken, Robert R. Kelley, Rebecca A. Ford, Rahel Bosson, Kimberley A. Buckner, Julio A. Ramirez

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Objectives: We design and implement the Arriving Refugee Informatics surVeillance and Epidemiology (ARIVE) system to improve the health of refugees undergoing resettlement and enhance existing health surveillance networks.

Materials and Methods: Using the REDCap electronic data capture software as a basis we create a refugee health database incorporating data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Electronic Disease Notification (EDN) system and domestic screening data from refugee health care providers.

Results: Domestic screening and EDN refugee health data have been integrated for 13,824 refugees resettled from 35 different countries into the state of Kentucky from the years 2013-2016.

Discussion: …

Vitamin Deficiencies Among Resettled Refugees In Buffalo, Ny, Tyler B. Evans, Myron Glick Md

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Background

Vitamin deficiency in the developing world is a considerable public health issue that is often overlooked. Refugees are some of the most vulnerable populations, since they rely almost exclusively on the nutrition provided by refugee camps. Buffalo, NY resettles the fourth largest number of refugees per capita among cities in the United States (US).

Objective

We examined the prevalence of vitamin A, B2, B12, and D deficiencies among refugees who had been recently resettled to Buffalo, NY and referred to our practice for assessment. Our exploratory objective was to examine potential differences in the prevalence of vitamin deficiencies among …

Intestinal Parasite Burden And Pre-Departure Treatment Compliance In Kentucky Refugee Children: A Descriptive Study, Collin Russell, Annie H. Rominger

Journal of Refugee & Global Health

Objective: Children are 1/2 of the world’s refugees and often have intestinal parasites. This study seeks to determine the intestinal burden and pre-departure treatment of Kentucky pediatric refugees.

Methods: This is a chart review of Kentucky pediatric refugee health screening data from 2012-2017. Stool culture results from children arriving through refugee camps were compared to non-camp children. They were placed into 3 regional groups and analyzed based on CDC pre-departure treatment recommendations.

Results: Of the 3,199 records, 1,653 had stool testing. 354 (51%) refugee camp children tested positive compared to 326 (33.9%) non-camp children. Giardia and Blastocystis were most commonly …