The impact of COVID-19 on service delivery systems: evidence from a survey of United States refugee resettlement agencies

Abstract

Background Key to the US refugee resettlement effort is the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who receive, place, and provide transitional programs and referrals to new and recently resettled refugees. Yet only one rapid assessment study thus far examined the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery systems of US refugee resettlement agencies. This exploratory study describes the capability and preparedness of US refugee resettlement agencies to provide services and care to clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Using both telephone interviews and an internet survey, we assessed the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery, agency capacity, and preparedness of 101 US refugee resettlement agencies. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the dataset, while chi-square (χ2) tests were used to examine relationships by resettlement agency size (number of employees in each agency). Results Despite a temporary pause on refugee admissions, restrictive stay-at-home orders, and refugee travel restrictions, the majority of responding US refugee resettlement agencies continued to provide specialized services and care to resettled refugees and other immigrants. Among the more important findings was that agencies that continued to provide refugee services and care onsite in their existing facilities or office rather than moving such services offsite differed by agency size [χ2 (9.494, n = 101), p < 0.05]. Almost all agencies (93.1%) strongly agreed or agreed that staff have timely access to COVID-19 information. Most of the refugee services were provided offsite (n = 72 agencies, some with multiple offices across the US). Conclusions US refugee resettlement agencies continued to perform admirably despite a lack of funding. Future research is underway to obtain a more balanced understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on practice or operations.

Lessons from digital technology-enabled health interventions implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to improve maternal and birth outcomes: a global scoping review

“…Digital technologies (e.g., mobile phone and tablet apps and telehealth) have become vital health system strengthening tools globally [ 33 , 34 ] mostly for overcoming healthcare service delivery challenges [ 35 – 40 ], and their use in pregnancy care has been augmented by the coronavirus crisis. Mobile health technology (mHealth) is defined as a component of electronic health used for delivery of health services using information and communication technology [ 41 – 44 ].…”