HEALTHCARE FOR RESETTLED REFUGEES: BARRIERS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND TWO THEORIES FOR APPLICATION

Abstract

Refugees in the United States present a unique set of circumstances for their medical providers. This paper will overview the complex process for admission to the United States and the unresolved trauma that many refugees experience. It will discuss the barriers to achieving adequate healthcare experiences for refugees: language, health literacy, transportation, gender issues, provider cultural competency, and communication about trauma. These barriers confound each other and create a multidimensional challenge for refugee patients in the U.S. For this reason, this paper also explores current recommendations for providers. Finally, I will argue that employing the ideas in “The Danger of a Single Story​”​ and ​Narrative Medicine​ will have positive impacts on the way refugee patients experience U.S. healthcare.