Early health assessment of refugees

This is the first in a series of articles looking at refugee health in Australian general practice. Each year approximately 13,000 refugees settle in Australia, mostly from countries with minimal public and personal health resources. They may present in a very different manner to the rest of the population and are at risk of unfamiliar and complex illnesses. Their health care can be difficult and time consuming and the general practitioners who supply this care need support, guidance and adequate remuneration. The new Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers 714 and 716 are an acknowledgment by the Australian government of these concerns of community GPs who are seeing refugees for their initial health assessments. This article discusses, in the context of the new item number, some of the broader issues that are important when seeing refugees for the first time.