Innovative model of care for asylum seekers and refugees in Switzerland: applicability, adaptations and challenges for different settings

Abstract

Asylum seekers face challenges in accessing healthcare upon arrival in host countries, including timely access to care, language and cultural barriers, and diverse health needs. As solution, the government of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland established the “Migrant Care Units”, specialized structures offering a comprehensive model of care. This workshop draws upon 20 years of evidence-based practices and research to present and critically examine a model of care that integrates first-line nurse consultations supervised by physicians and supported by a cantonal health network. The objective is to explore the model’s, its limitations and potential adaptations for diverse contexts.

Topic: consultation, cost effectiveness, feedback, government, health personnel, health services accessibility, psychiatric hospital, languages, nurses, pediatrics, psychiatry, refugees, social work, economics, public health medicine, organization of health care systems, evidence-based practice, integrated treatment, community interpreters, workflow, psychologists