Developing primary care assessment for migrant patients

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Developing theory-driven patient assessment for primary healthcare working with migrant patients

• IRAS ID

  230546

• Contact name

  Elizabeth Such

• Contact email

  e.such@sheffield.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Sheffield

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 5 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Many areas of the UK have experienced a change in the profile of their local population, especially as international migration has increased. Migrants generally arrive healthy with few healthcare requirements but some may arrive in difficult circumstances (e.g. as a refugee) and have a range of needs relating to their health and social situation. Primary healthcare (e.g. family doctors) may not have the experience and support to adapt to serving these populations.
  Previous work has found that, despite resource issues, many primary healthcare staff working with new migrant populations have adapted what they do to help migrant patients access healthcare and other forms of assistance. Research shows that assessing patient need at first contact (i.e. the new patient health check) is one area in which primary care clinics have adapted their practices to address the health and other needs of new arrivals.
  This study aims to find out more about how new patient assessments have been developed and conducted. We will interview people in NHS primary care clinics about patient assessments and observe them being conducted. These clinics will include those that specialise in serving migrants in vulnerable circumstances (e.g. asylum seekers and refuges) as well as those that are ‘mainstream’. This will lead to a better understanding of how patient assessment takes place generally and with new migrant patients in particular. This will inform the on-going development of a web-based tool for use in mainstream primary care settings, funded by the Health Foundation.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/EE/0323

• Date of REC Opinion

  20 Oct 2017

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion