There are laws in Switzerland that regulate the way that asylum seekers have to be taken care of. The process of applying for asylum is long and complex and it has an impact on the health - specially on the psychological health - of the asylum seeker. In the canton of Vaud, there are a certain number of specific structures and tools consisting of a health network for the asylum seekers (FARMED), a nurse health service which responds to primary care needs (SSIRA) and a double «gate-keeping» system in which nurses and physicians interact. The care of this «vulnerable population» requires also a training of the various partners of the network and the implementation of research and studies essential to improve or modify the current system. The professionals who take care needs not only to understand and be familiar with these different parameters, but also to be attentive to the expectations, the beliefs, the resources and the fears of the asylum seeker.

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medical research Review law primary medical care health care system nursing psychological aspect doctor nurse relation health practitioner Switzerland mental patient