A multidimensional approach to improve migrants’ health in the new context of living

Abstract

Abstract Background Quantitative data analysis performed by the multidisciplinary team in a Primary Care setting, addressing migrants' health in Parma, showed poor adherence and lower completion rate of Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) treatment among 2701 refugees and asylum seekers, registered from 2013 to 2018. Soon afterwards, qualitative data analysis revealed that health operators, intercultural mediators and operators working for no-profit-organizations (NGOs) did not share the same approach towards LTBI care cascade. Different knowledge about patient engagement, Health Literacy (HL) interventions, disagreement about the objectives and motivation to screening and treatment of LTBI, could be the consequence of an ineffective communication and not well-structured cooperation between health operators, private sectors and other stakeholders. Objectives In order to enhance migrants' capability for self-care management of LTBI, the multidisciplinary team plans seven meetings with intercultural mediators and operators working for NGOs, from March to June, within the I.C.A.R.E European Project. The interactive meetings aim at improving knowledge about Tuberculosis (TB) and LTBI, awareness about the relationship between self-decision making and health outcomes, motivation to patient engagement and finally at identifying culturally competent and HL oriented strategies. Results It is expected a structured, evidence-based approach, according to national guidelines, enabling newly arrived immigrants to improve self-care management of health and LTBI. Indicators, outcomes, challenges managed within the participatory meetings will be presented at the conference. Conclusions A co-construction of a multidimensional approach, supporting individual capacity building to improve self-care management of LTBI among newly arrived immigrants, could be an effective strategy for patient engagement and health promotion. Key messages Newly arrived immigrants’ health is not only a matter of individual capability but also of a multifactorial approach, actively involving stakeholders from the public, private and no-profit sectors. This multidimensional cooperation to improve migrants’ health considers HL as a fundamental factor, supporting individual engagement and decreasing in fear about TB.