Factors Associated with Refugee Acute Healthcare Utilization in Southern Connecticut

We examined associations between any acute care use and collected demographic a s well as health characteristics. Of the 248 refugees in our sample, 57% had a medical evaluation within 30 days of arrival. 102 (41%) had at least one acute care visit within 8 months of arrival. Male sex (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.09–3.30) and prior history of hypertension (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.06–7.33) were associated with greater likelihood of an acute care visit within 8 months of arrival, while having a medical evaluation within 30 days of arrival was associated with lower likelihood (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32–0.98). Designing systems to ensure timely evaluations of newly arrived refugees may redu ce frequent acute care utilization.
Source: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: research