Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 14, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 583-588

Health care utilization of refugee children after resettlement (Article)

Watts D.-J.* , Friedman J.F. , Vivier P.M. , Tompkins C.E.A. , Alario A.J.
  • a Department of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, United States
  • b Department of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, United States, Lifespan Center for International Health Research, Providence, RI, United States
  • c Departments of Community Health and Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
  • d Department of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, United States
  • e Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center, Worcester, MA, United States

Abstract

Refugee children can have significant health problems. Our objective was to describe health status and health care utilization of refugee children after resettlement. A retrospective chart review of refugee children was performed. Initial laboratory data was extracted. Primary care visits, emergency room visits, and subspecialty referrals in the first 15 months from arrival were recorded. The sample included 198 refugees, many with positive initial screening tests. After arrival, 21% had an emergency department visit, 40% had a primary care sick visit, and 71% had a primary care follow-up. Mean number of visits ranged from 0.3 for emergency department to 1.9 for follow- up. Fifty-seven percent were referred to at least one subspecialist. Refugee children had substantial disease burden at arrival. Most had primary care follow-up visits and subspecialty referral after resettlement. These visits were largely for problems identified on initial screening and for general pediatric illnesses. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.

Author Keywords

Health care utilization Primary care emergency department Refugee

Index Keywords

refugee mass screening Hospitals, Pediatric human Refugees Rhode Island statistics health status United States Humans Adolescent Infant, Newborn male preschool child female Infant Child, Preschool newborn Article Retrospective Studies Utilization Review child health care Child Health Services hospital retrospective study primary health care Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84865851824&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-011-9530-1&partnerID=40&md5=ea528d48e2c21d8ea7784b92e8672e96
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-011-9530-1
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English