Jenkins, C, Refugee Resettlement and Barriers to Healthcare

Refugee Resettlement and Barriers to Healthcare

 

Claire F. Jenkins BS, UCCOM MS2 (medical student)1

 

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine1, Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

Introduction: At the end of 2021, an unprecedented 89.3 million people had been displaced from their homes worldwide, including 27.1 million refugees fleeing persecution of race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or social group. The Greater Cincinnati Area is home to more than 25,000 refugees and this population has grown exponentially in the past year due to the United States military pulling out of Afghanistan. Refugees in Cincinnati exist in a vulnerable health position due to the chronic stress and violence endured while fleeing persecution compounded with resettling in a foreign place. They experience many obstacles to achieving quality healthcare including barriers to transportation, communication with providers, medication adherence, and housing and food insecurity. While all refugees may experience these barriers, refugee families considered especially vulnerable are placed in a program called “Preferred Communities” for more individualized assistance.

 

Methods: I was assigned to a “Preferred Communities” family who had fled persecution in Afghanistan and arrived in Cincinnati with 8 children, 3 with severe physical and mental disabilities. Each family member had complex medical concerns and appointments. The obstacles they faced such as speaking Pashto, being illiterate, and having no transportation made it impossible for them to keep up with their healthcare. I helped overcome these specific barriers by setting up and transporting them to medical appointments, and picking up and explaining their medications with an interpreter. I also impacted their social determinants of health through helping them acquire bus passes, State IDs, English classes, and EBT cards. My goal was to increase their autonomy to help them take charge of their health.

 

Results: The healthcare system is difficult to navigate for refugees like my clients. For example, after visit paperwork and medication instructions cannot be printed in Pashto. Unfortunately, the only real solution currently available is to learn English. A few of the children started English classes over the summer and are able to assist the other family members in medication adherence. Through many trips to the hospitals, I was able to help them understand where to go for appointments. They know to bring their ID’s and insurance cards and to ask for an interpreter. Now, Medicare transport can take them to appointments and they can check themselves in. They are able to understand appointment reminders sent to their phones the day before an appointment and be prepared for the transport to arrive. While these may seem like small steps, they are important in empowering my clients to take charge of their health.

 

Conclusions: Refugees exist in an extremely vulnerable health position and experience many barriers to healthcare. It is vital that these barriers be addressed so they can have a chance to succeed in their new home.

 

Contact Information: Claire Jenkins, jenkincf@mail.uc.edu, 614-359-2380

Key words: Refugees, Refugee Resettlement, Refugee Health, Health Barriers, Social Determinants of Health