SCR CONNECTionsNovember 16, 2011

This presentation is eligible for 1 hour MLA CE at the conclusion of the session. You will be provided with a link to the evaluation form at the conclusion of the webinar.

Health Information Resourcesfor Refugee Populations

SCR CONNECTionsNovember 16, 2011Cheryl Rowan, Public Health Coordinator

Definitions

• Refugee: “a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

~Immigration and Nationality Act

Somali refugees in Kenyan camp: http://www.kpbs.org/photos/galleries/2010/sep/27/somali-refugees

/

U.S. Refugee Statistics

• 73,293 refugees in 2010 • Top countries: Iraq,

Burma, Bhutan• Refugee “cap” each

year

• 22,113 persons granted asylum in 2010• Top countries: China,

Ethiopia, Haiti

Unique Health Issues

Importance of Cultural Competency

• What is culture?• One definition: Characteristic features, beliefs, social

norms, and way of life shared by a racial, religious, or social group, or by people in a specific place or time

• It’s not just about the words!• Differences between Western Caucasian and East

Asian facial expressions• / - Western emoticons primarily use the mouth• ^.^/;_; - Eastern emoticons primarily use the eyes

Culture and Patient Health

• Beliefs about objects, symbols, food, the body, blood, non-traditional medicine, etc.

• Communication styles and norms• Role of relationships• Ways of learning new information• Role of translations and interpreters

Organizations which Work with Refugees

• UNHCR: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees • Established December 14, 1950 by the United Nations

General Assembly • Coordinates interactional action to protect refugees

and resolve problems worldwide• http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

Organizations which Work with Refugees• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

(USCRI) • Mission: “To address the needs and rights of persons in forced or

voluntary migration worldwide by advancing fair and humane public policy, facilitating and providing direct professional services, and promoting the full participation of migrants in community life.”

• http://www.refugees.org

Resources – Websites

• Refugee Health Information Network (RHIN)• http://www.rhin.org • Multilingual health information (more than 80

languages) for health providers, refugees and asylees• Large section on cultural guidance• Country Conditions Reports• Multiple formats (print, audio, video)

Resources - Websites

• MedlinePlus – Health Information in Multiple Languages• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/languages.html• Selected topics now in 47 languages other than English• Accessible directly from the homepage• Search by language or health topic• Strict criteria for translations

Resources - Websites

• EthnoMed• http://ethnomed.org • Merged material from former 24 Languages Project• Background information on cultures and cultural

competency• Patient education materials

Resources - Websites

• SPIRAL: Selected Patient Information Resources in Asian Languages• http://spiral.tufts.edu/index.html• Patient information resources for Asian language

speakers• Several new topics, including: breast feeding, diabetic

diet, first aid, and high blood pressure

Resources – Websites

• Healthy Roads Media• http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/index.htm• Multiple languages; multiple formats

• Includes iPod video and multimedia

Resources – Websites • Health Information Translations

• http://healthinfotranslations.org/ • Health topics include Diagnostic Tests and Disaster

Preparedness• Linked to from MedlinePlus! (see Marshallese)

Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities• Perspective of a “disaster” culture

• “Disaster culture” in many countries• “Everything is from Allah”• Spiritual leaders are preferred source of information • Limited economic resources are barrier

Questions/Wrap-Up• Reminder: 1 hour MLA CE Credit for today

• Also eligible from recording through November 30, 2011

• Next SCR CONNECTions: Wednesday, December 14th• Topic: Technology

• Full 2 or 3 hour class now available: From Beyond Our Borders: Providing Health Information to Refugee Populations

• Thank you for joining us today!

Developed by NN/LM SCR Staff. This project funded by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services under contract HHSN276201100007C with the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library.