Resident Experiences in Pathways to Health for Cleveland Refugees: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education
• Sociology

Background:

• Refugee families face significant challenges navigating the U.S. healthcare system.
• Medical trainees often lack preparedness to address the unique health needs of refugee populations.
• Effective healthcare navigation is crucial for refugee well-being and integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a healthcare navigation curriculum for newly arrived refugee families.
• To assess the impact of the curriculum on pediatric residents' understanding and comfort working with refugees.
• To bridge the gap between medical training and the needs of vulnerable patient populations.

Main Methods:

• Collaboration between pediatric residents and a refugee resettlement organization.
• Creation and delivery of a user-friendly healthcare navigation curriculum.
• Pre- and post-intervention surveys administered to pediatric residents to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes.

Main Results:

• Pediatric residents expressed strong interest in working with refugee populations, despite limited prior experience.
• A significant improvement in residents' understanding of refugee health issues was observed post-intervention.
• The curriculum successfully enhanced residents' preparedness to serve refugee families.

Conclusions:

• The developed curriculum effectively improved pediatric residents' understanding of refugee health.
• Partnerships between medical institutions and resettlement organizations can enhance training for vulnerable populations.
• Further research should evaluate the curriculum's impact on refugee families and long-term resident competency.