Abstract
Effective screening in primary care among asylum-seekers in the US is critical as this population grows. This study aimed to evaluate disease prevalence and screening methods in this high-risk group. Two hundred ten new clients from 51 countries, plus Tibet, who were accepted into a program for asylum seekers from 2012 to 2014 were included. Screening rates and outcomes for infectious, non-communicable, and mental illnesses were evaluated. Screening rates were highest for PTSD, depression, hepatitis B, and latent tuberculosis. Seventy-one percent of clients screened positive for depression and 55 % for PTSD, followed by latent tuberculosis (41 %), hypertension (10 %), hepatitis B (9.4 %), and HIV (0.8 %). Overall screening rates were high. Point of care testing was more effective than testing that required a repeat visit. A large psychiatric and infectious disease burden was identified. These findings can inform future primary care screening efforts for asylum seekers in the US.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 171-177 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Keywords
- Asylum seeker
- Health screening
- Hypertension screening
- Immigrant health
- Infectious disease screening
- Mental health screening
- Primary health care
