Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 17, Issue 5, 2015, Pages 1444-1450

Does Integrated Care Affect Healthcare Utilization in Multi-problem Refugees? (Article)

White C.C. , Solid C.A. , Hodges J.S. , Boehm D.H.*
  • a Center for Victims of Torture, St. Paul, MN, United States
  • b Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, Minneapolis, MN, United States
  • c Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
  • d Division of General Internal Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, 701 Park Avenue (P7.730), Minneapolis, MN 55415, United States

Abstract

A history of trauma is common in refugee populations and appropriate treatment is frequently avoided. Using a convenience sample of 64 patients in a Somali primary care clinic, a culture and trauma specific intervention was developed to address retention into appropriate treatment. One goal of the intervention was to improve the rate of engagement in psychotherapy after a mental health referral and to test the effect of psychotherapy on health care utilization using a staged primary care clinical tool. Forty-eight percent of patients given a mental health referral engaged in psychotherapy. Patients engaging in psychotherapy had higher baseline utilization and over 12 months trended towards less emergency room use and more primary care. Our findings suggest that the intervention improved referral and retention in mental health therapy for East African refugee women. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Primary care Refugees Special populations Political trauma Integrated care

Index Keywords

refugee mental health human Refugees middle aged Warfare Aged ethnology psychotherapy Young Adult Humans psychology Trust female patient referral Referral and Consultation Africa organization and management patient compliance adult Somalia patient attitude Patient Acceptance of Health Care Africa, Eastern primary health care
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84941367572&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-014-0088-6&partnerID=40&md5=451ecdf628b0add7b7d93a9a9676cffa
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-014-0088-6
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English