Appropriateness of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre-adapted Refugee Health Assessment Tool

People seeking asylum (PSA) are recommended to undertake a comprehensive risk-based health assessment within 1 month of arrival in Australia. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) offers health services to PSA in Victoria, through the ASRC nurse-led clinic. A healthcare assessment is conducted by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Australian journal of primary health Vol. 26; no. 2; p. 132
Main Authors:	Napwanga, Eluby Sarah Patrick, McShane, Sheenagh, Naccarella, Lucio
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Australia 01-01-2020
Subjects:	Adult Attitude of Health Personnel Female Health Services Accessibility Health Status Indicators Humans Interviews as Topic Male Middle Aged Nurses - psychology Refugees - psychology Victoria Victoria
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Summary:	People seeking asylum (PSA) are recommended to undertake a comprehensive risk-based health assessment within 1 month of arrival in Australia. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) offers health services to PSA in Victoria, through the ASRC nurse-led clinic. A healthcare assessment is conducted by nurses using a Refugee Health Assessment (RHA) tool. A process evaluation was conducted to assess if the adapted 2016 version of the RHA tool was able to appropriately identify, describe and prioritise the needs of PSA. Twelve ASRC nurses who conducted assessments were interviewed. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed. The adapted RHA tool was considered as appropriate for identifying, describing and prioritising the needs of PSA. Three key interconnected themes emerged influencing the appropriateness of the tool: the tool; users' experiences; and the individual characteristics of the PSA undergoing the assessment. Key tool limitations included: the structure not being user-friendly; variability in users' sensitivity to using the tool; and the limited feedback from PSA on the adapted RHA tool. Given the high number of people seeking asylum in Australia and the complexity of their healthcare needs, this research provides preliminary guidance on ways to improve the appropriateness of the ASRC-adapted RHA tool.
ISSN:	1836-7399
DOI:	10.1071/PY19059