| Description |
In a country where even English-speaking minorities are often at a disadvantage, refugees' circumstances - especially as a result of social instability, language and cultural differences, level of education, and income - can render the American health care system frightening, inaccessible, incomprehensible, and ineffective. While many organizations in Utah work diligently to meet the needs of the state's refugee population, the funding is inefficient and caseworkers are stretched to a breaking point, leaving many refugees ill equipped to navigate the unfathomable waters of bureaucracy. This paper reviews and assesses the current refugee health system in the state of Utah and makes recommendations for possible improvement: an application of the concepts of "P4 medicine," or an approach that is personalized, predictive, preventive, and participatory, as well as the concept of patient-centered medical homes originally proposed and advocated for by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and most recently recommended for all patients in the U.S. by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. While current efforts to help refugees are praiseworthy, new approaches are needed to help refugees build their own capacities and enhance their self-reliance, breaking from the current trend of dependency. Integral to refugee health is their ability to engage and participate in their new communities. Combining the core principles of P4 medicine with medical homes could form the framework for a health system in which refugees would be included, connected, and empowered, allowing them to reposition themselves from the margins of Utah's communities back to the middle of human society. |
