Evaluation of a school screening programme for young people from refugee backgrounds

Abstract

Aim:To describe the development of the Optimising Health and Learning Program, guided by the only available published framework for the delivery of health services to newly arrived refugee children and report on the evaluation of the programme. Methods: We conducted process and impact evaluation using a mixed methods approach. The sample was 294 refugee young people enrolled in two Intensive English Centres in New South Wales. We collected quantitative data (demographic and clinical information) as well as qualitative data via focus groups, key informant interviews, surveys and programme documentation. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis; programme documents underwent document review. Results: There were high levels of programme participation (90%), and the yield from routine health screening was high (80% of participants screened positive for two or more health conditions). All identified programme development strategies were implemented; programme partners and participants reported satisfaction with the programme. Sixteen programme partners were identified with a high level of intersectoral collaboration reported. Significant in-kind contributions and seed funding enabled the uptake of the programme to increase from one to five Intensive English Centres over a 4-year period. Conclusion: Process and impact evaluation identified that the programme was well implemented and met its stated objectives of increasing the detection of health conditions likely to impact on student health and learning; linkage of newly arrived students and their families with primary health care; and coordination of care across primary health and specialist services.

Intersectoral and integrated approaches in achieving the right to health for refugees on resettlement: a scoping review

“…Six studies were interventions at the district/local level, four at a broader regional level and five at the national level. The interventions outlined in the included studies addressed mostly all genders and all age ranges with the exception of six that targeted vulnerable groups: two studies on mothers and children24 25; one on the elderly26; one on students27 and two on women and girls 28 29. Interventions targeting women and children in particular used alternative models of care such as mobile health clinics28 29 and school-based interventions 24 27.…”

“…Interventions targeting women and children in particular used alternative models of care such as mobile health clinics28 29 and school-based interventions 24 27. Seven studies applied qualitative approaches (primarily in-depth interviews) for evaluation,27–33 four studies used survey tools or standardised assessment tools25 26 34 35; four studies used descriptive and routine data24 36–38; and three studies were mainly descriptive analysis reporting on and looking at the outcomes of case examples and policies 39–41…”

Health examinations of child migrants in Europe: screening or assessment of healthcare needs?

“…To ensure priorisation and successful implementation, such health assessments should ideally be based on explicit national health reception policies and available guidelines for the healthcare professionals in charge. If health assessments are made with a clear structure and with the collaboration of a network of relevant specialists, it can increase the likelihood of detection of significant health conditions, link newly arrived migrant children and their families with primary healthcare and reduce costs by coordination of care across primary health and specialist services 13. Importantly, the organisational health reception structure has to ensure coherence and coordination implying that data from the individual assessments should always be forwarded to primary care specialists or other professionals who have to follow-up on the results of the assessments when resettling in the country, that is vaccination information.…”

“…Importantly, the organisational health reception structure has to ensure coherence and coordination implying that data from the individual assessments should always be forwarded to primary care specialists or other professionals who have to follow-up on the results of the assessments when resettling in the country, that is vaccination information. Since much of the economic investments involved in providing health assessment for newly settled migrant children are the same for all programmes, adding a broader paediatric assessment to the assessment of communicable disorders should be a quite limited economic investment, that may even lower the total costs of care for these children according to the before mentioned experiences in Australia 13…”

Optimising refugee children’s health/wellbeing in preparation for primary and secondary school: a qualitative inquiry

“…Evaluations of the initiative indicated high levels of screening coverage. Specifically, nurses based in community clinics completed a physical health screen on 97% of eligible newly arrived refugees aged 0–15 years [15], while those in Intensive English Study Centres (precursors to entering High School), screened 90% of students, of whom 80% were found to have two or more medical conditions [16].…”