Refugee Health in General Practice
Friday, April 05 2024
Adelaide PHN, in collaboration with STTARS (Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service) and General Practices in Northern Adelaide have initiated a project aimed at providing safe and culturally appropriate health to refugee community members. Adelaide PHN was made aware of service limitations within the New Arrival Refugee Immunisation Clinic and the Refugee Health Service which identified the need for support among General Practice in the area.
The Adelaide PHN Practice Facilitators (PFs) identified a number of practices that were either already providing or willing to offer safe and appropriate care to Refugee community members to participate in the project. A targeted evening event was organised, bringing together the identified practices, STTARS who deliver the Adelaide Refugee and New Arrival Program (ARANAP) and Adelaide PHN for an information and Q&A session focused on providing safe and appropriate care to the Refugee community within General Practice. Practices were provided with resources, including a Refugee health toolkit developed by Adelaide PHN to guide quality improvement activities.
Adelaide PHN had also highlighted a gap in relation to practice software and the way in which it records Refugee status and targeted Refugee specific screening and assessment activities. The health toolkit supports General Practice to accurately record Refugee status and specific Refugee screening and assessment activities within their software. This can then allow for more targeted preventative health measures for Refugee community within General Practice.
The project runs for a six-month period, and we are currently part way through. The practices are being supported to review and update their data by the PFs and we will hold another evening event to support ongoing collaboration amongst all involved practices and organisations.
The success of this initiative was made possible through the collaboration of various stakeholders, including Adelaide PHN, STTARS, and participating General Practices such as Dernancourt Medical, Ladywood Clinic, Paragon Medical, Ingle Farm Medical, Montague Farm Medical, ProMed Prospect, and Trinity Medical Practice.
This project not only aims to improve access to healthcare for Refugee community members but also fosters networking and support among General Practices in the northern suburbs of Adelaide.