Barriers and facilitators to refugees and asylum seekers accessing non hospital based care: A mixed methods systematic review protocol

Abstract

Context: Social exclusion is characterised by and represents a form of disadvantage and marginalisation of vulnerable groups of people in society, who cannot fully participate in the normal activities of daily living. People who are socially excluded such as asylum seekers and refugees have complex healthcare needs and tend to present more to the acute hospital setting as emergency presentations. Little is known about barriers and facilitators experienced by this group to accessing nonhospital based care.

Objectives: This mixed methods systematic review, will critically examine the concept of barriers and facilitators for refugees and asylum seekers to accessing non hospital based care.

Methods: This methodological review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for conducting mixed methods reviews. The following databases will be searched: Central Medline, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. Relevant grey literature will be included. Title and abstract screening, followed by full-text screening will be undertaken independently by two reviewers. The Joanna Briggs Institute extraction tool will be adapted for data extraction.

Discussion: This mixed method review will comprehensively evaluate quantitative and qualitative data, synthesise both barriers and facilitators and follow a systematic approach through establishing use of mixed methods research across asylum seekers and refugees, and how they affect accessing non-hospital based care. It will explore conceptual models of access to healthcare and how they influence these factors.

Keywords: Marginalised groups; access to non-hospital based care; asylum seekers; barriers; community care; facilitators; health equity; migrant groups; mixed methods systematic review.; people experiencing homelessness; primary care; refugees; social determinants of health; social exclusion.