TY - JOUR
T1 - Addressing refugee health through evidence-based policies
T2 - a case study
AU - Thiel de Bocanegra, Heike
AU - Carter-Pokras, Olivia
AU - Ingleby, J. David
AU - Pottie, Kevin
AU - Tchangalova, Nedelina
AU - Allen, Sophia I.
AU - Smith-Gagen, Julie
AU - Hidalgo, Bertha
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge comments from participants of the June 2016 American College of Epidemiology policy committee workshop in Miami, Florida. They also acknowledge travel support from the University of Maryland's School of Public Health (OCP); and the Academic Senate, University of California, San Francisco and an anonymous private foundation (HTB) to attend the workshop. Efforts by Dr. Lorna Thorpe to coordinate the workshop where these case studies were discussed were partially supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant U48DP001904. Dr. Bertha Hidalgo is supported by an award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K01 HL130609-01). The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge comments from participants of the June 2016 American College of Epidemiology policy committee workshop in Miami, Florida. They also acknowledge travel support from the University of Maryland's School of Public Health (OCP); and the Academic Senate, University of California, San Francisco and an anonymous private foundation (HTB) to attend the workshop. Efforts by Dr. Lorna Thorpe to coordinate the workshop where these case studies were discussed were partially supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant U48DP001904 . Dr. Bertha Hidalgo is supported by an award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ( K01 HL130609-01 ). The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - The cumulative total of persons forced to leave their country for fear of persecution or organized violence reached an unprecedented 24.5 million by the end of 2015. Providing equitable access to appropriate health services for these highly diverse newcomers poses challenges for receiving countries. In this case study, we illustrate the importance of translating epidemiology into policy to address the health needs of refugees by highlighting examples of what works as well as identifying important policy-relevant gaps in knowledge. First, we formed an international working group of epidemiologists and health services researchers to identify available literature on the intersection of epidemiology, policy, and refugee health. Second, we created a synopsis of findings to inform a recommendation for integration of policy and epidemiology to support refugee health in the United States and other high-income receiving countries. Third, we identified eight key areas to guide the involvement of epidemiologists in addressing refugee health concerns. The complexity and uniqueness of refugee health issues, and the need to develop sustainable management information systems, require epidemiologists to expand their repertoire of skills to identify health patterns among arriving refugees, monitor access to appropriately designed health services, address inequities, and communicate with policy makers and multidisciplinary teams.
AB - The cumulative total of persons forced to leave their country for fear of persecution or organized violence reached an unprecedented 24.5 million by the end of 2015. Providing equitable access to appropriate health services for these highly diverse newcomers poses challenges for receiving countries. In this case study, we illustrate the importance of translating epidemiology into policy to address the health needs of refugees by highlighting examples of what works as well as identifying important policy-relevant gaps in knowledge. First, we formed an international working group of epidemiologists and health services researchers to identify available literature on the intersection of epidemiology, policy, and refugee health. Second, we created a synopsis of findings to inform a recommendation for integration of policy and epidemiology to support refugee health in the United States and other high-income receiving countries. Third, we identified eight key areas to guide the involvement of epidemiologists in addressing refugee health concerns. The complexity and uniqueness of refugee health issues, and the need to develop sustainable management information systems, require epidemiologists to expand their repertoire of skills to identify health patterns among arriving refugees, monitor access to appropriately designed health services, address inequities, and communicate with policy makers and multidisciplinary teams.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.05.010
DO - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.05.010
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 28554498
AN - SCOPUS:85019920470
SN - 1047-2797
VL - 28
SP - 411
EP - 419
JO - Annals of Epidemiology
JF - Annals of Epidemiology
IS - 6
ER -