Health Service Utilization among Syrian Refugees with Chronic Health Conditions in Jordan

Abstract

IntroductionThe influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan presents an immense burden to the Jordanian health system, particularly in treating chronic health conditions. This study was undertaken to assess utilization of health services for chronic health conditions among Syrian refugees in non-camp settings.MethodsA survey of Syrian refugees in Jordan was undertaken in June 2014 to characterize health seeking behaviors and issues related to accessing care for hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and arthritis. A cluster design with probability proportional to size sampling was used to attain a nationally representative sample of 1550 non-camp Syrian refugee households.ResultsOf 1363 cases with a chronic health condition diagnosis, 84.7% had received care in Jordan. Public facilities faced a heavy burden serving over half (53.9%) of care-seekers; the remainder received care in the private (29.6%) and NGO/charity (16.6%) sectors. Individuals with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the central region of Jordan and with arthritis had the lowest rates of care-seeking when compared to other regions and conditions. Overall, 31.6% of care-seekers had an out-of-pocket payment for the most recent care-seeking event which averaged 18.8 USD (median = 0 USD), excluding cost of medications.DiscussionForced displacement presents major challenges to those with NCDs, which have the potential to seriously impact both the quality of life and life expectancy amongst refugees. NCD patterns among Syrian refugees indicate the importance of continuing support to public sector services in Jordan to adequately meet expanding needs and ensure appropriate prevention and control of priority NCDs.

Health care needs and use of health care services among newly arrived Syrian refugees: a cross-sectional study

“…The literature suggests that noncommunicable diseases among Syrian refugees in Jordan posed the highest burden on the Jordanian health care system. 19,20 It has been reported that refugees are at risk for deteriorating mental and physical health soon after arriving in Canada. 17,21,22 Our findings on unmet health care needs suggest a course toward this outcome.…”

Health Care and Pharmacy Practice in Jordan

“…Such families may decide to forgo health care services because of the cost, especially for chronic conditions that may be considered as less urgent (or requiring less care) in the short term. 9 The health care sectors in Jordan function independently, and there is no national electronic health records system. The availability of electronic patient records and the utilization of electronic prescribing are not universal in Jordanian hospitals.…”

Health needs and priorities of Syrian refugees in camps and urban settings in Jordan: perspectives of refugees and health care providers

“…Research has focused on isolated issues that have affected the health of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, such as health service access and utilization (8,9), the prevalence of chronic conditions among certain refugee age groups (10), the prevalence of infectious diseases among refugees, and the psychosocial and mental health care shortcomings. However, research on how refugees prioritize these issues that affect their health is scarce.…”