Service Evaluation of the English Refugee Health Information System: Considerations and Recommendations for Effective Resettlement

Thomas James Dunn, Annabel Browne, Steven Haworth, Fatima Wurie and Ines Campos-Matos
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Thomas James Dunn: Population and Lifespan Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
Annabel Browne: Public Health England Migrant Health Team, London SE1 8UG, UK
Steven Haworth: Public Health England Migrant Health Team, London SE1 8UG, UK
Fatima Wurie: Public Health England Migrant Health Team, London SE1 8UG, UK
Ines Campos-Matos: Public Health England Migrant Health Team, London SE1 8UG, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-11

Abstract: Since 2015, the UK has resettled over 25,000 refugees. To support resettlement and integration, refugees undergo a pre-arrival medical health assessment (MHA), which is used for healthcare planning by local government in England. This study aimed to understand the utility and effectiveness of the MHA and flow of data to support resettlement planning. Seven local government representatives were interviewed regarding their experiences and perceptions of the refugee health information system (HIS) and the MHA for resettlement in England. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The three themes indicated that the HIS was perceived to be effective, however, issues on governance, timeliness of information and access were identified. Findings showed that for the MHA to be more useful for planning, assessments for mental health issues and child special educational needs (SEN) are needed. Findings also indicated resettlement promoted joint working and acceptability of refugee resettlement. In areas where data sharing and governance processes are well defined, the HIS is effective and the MHA supports resettlement. National agencies should put structures in place to support timely health information flow.

Keywords: refugees; global health; information science (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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