Common Diagnoses among Refugee Populations: Linked Results with Statewide Hospital Discharge Database

Abstract

Background:According to the U.S. State Department’s Refugee Processing Center and the U.S. Census Bureau, in the fiscal year 2016, among all states in the United States, Nebraska resettled the highest number of refugees per capita.Objectives:The objectives of this study were to determine the most common reasons for refugees utilizing hospital services in Nebraska between January 2011 and September 2015, and to examine whether refugee patients had increased risks for adverse health conditions compared to non-refugee patients.Methods:Statewide linkage was performed between Nebraska Medicaid Program’s immigration data, and 2011–2015 Nebraska hospital discharge data inpatient and outpatient files. The linkage produced 3017, 5460, and 775 cases for emergency department visits, outpatient clinic visits, and inpatient care for the refugee sample, respectively.Findings:Refugee patients were at increased risk for a number of diagnoses or medical conditions, including pregnancy complications, abdominal pain, upper respiratory infections, viral infections, mood disorders, disorders of teeth and jaw, deficiency and anemia, urinary system disorders, headache, nausea and vomiting, limb fractures, spondylosis, essential hypertension, and uncomplicated diabetes mellitus.Conclusions:The findings suggest a greater emphasis on preventive healthcare, especially in areas of maternal health and perinatal outcomes, psychological counseling, screening for infectious diseases, nutrition and healthy eating, and oral health. Additionally, culturally appropriate measures to address prevention, health screening, and treatments should be adopted by health providers who care for refugees.

The Utilization of Emergency Department and Outpatient Clinics among Evacuated Victims after the 2023 Turkey Earthquake

“…[2][3][4] Studies in the literature were mostly carried out on health services utilization by patients who migrated from other countries. 2,3,5 Studies on the health care utilization of evacuated natural disaster victims are limited.…”

Pediatric emergency department use by Afghan refugees at a temporary housing facility

“…The medical needs of resettling refugees are significant and often require emergency resources for stabilization of acute illness/injury or decompensation of chronic illness during evacuation 4–7 . Children have unique health needs in displacement events, including traumatic injuries, susceptibility to communicable diseases, sensitivity to malnutrition and dehydration, and mental health needs, which are not necessarily addressed by adult refugee health care services 1,8–12 . Few studies in the US describe emergency department (ED) use and the emergency medicine resources used by pediatric refugees during resettlement.…”

“… 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 Children have unique health needs in displacement events, including traumatic injuries, susceptibility to communicable diseases, sensitivity to malnutrition and dehydration, and mental health needs, which are not necessarily addressed by adult refugee health care services. 1 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 Few studies in the US describe emergency department (ED) use and the emergency medicine resources used by pediatric refugees during resettlement.…”

High prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Giardia, and Blastocystis in asymptomatic Syrian asylum seekers in Denmark during 2016 through 2018

“…Symptoms of intestinal parasite colonisation or infection range from absent or mild, through gastrointestinal complaints to organ failure, depending on the agent in question. Recent studies have found a relatively high prevalence (ranging from 17% to 59%) of gastrointestinal parasites in refugee populations in Sweden, USA, and Canada ( Benzeguir et al., 1999 , DeVetten et al., 2017 , Peterson et al., 2001 ) and abdominal pain—an unspecific symptom often linked to being colonised with gastrointestinal parasites—is consistently found to be one of the most common complaints among refugees seen in primary care or in the emergency department ( Eiset and Wejse, 2017 , Padovese et al., 2014 , Sariaydin et al., 2018 , Xu et al., 2018 ). Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a public health concern in general and in particular in migration health because of the risk of dissemination of the antimicrobial-resistant genes to otherwise susceptible organisms ( accessed November 26, 2020 , MacPherson et al., 2009 ).…”