Re-health
Re-Health2: Implementation of the Personal Health Record as a tool for integration of refugees in EU health systems
Duration: 16 months (July 2017 – October 2018)
Donor: European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (SANTE)
The project is a continuation and expansion of the IOM/EC Re-Health action – "Supporting Member States under particular migratory pressure in their response to health related challenges" (2016-2017) within which, an electronic Personal Health Records (E-PHR) and platform was developed and piloted in four Southern -Eastern EU Member States (Greece, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia).
"Re-Health2 Implementation of the Personal Health Record as a tool for integration of refugees in EU health systems" has the overall objective to contribute to the integration of newly-arrived migrants and refugees, including those to be relocated, in the EU Member States’ health systems by identifying health needs and trends and fostering continuity of care within and between countries through the utilization of the PHR/e-PHR. More specifically, it is focused on:
- Developing a revised version of the PHR/e-PHR;
- Consolidating the use of the tool and its electronic version;
- Provision of migrants’ health status reports; and
- Fostering model of health care provision, including peer health mediation and capacity building of health mediators via face to face and online training
Re-Health2 is co-funded through the EU Health Work Programme 2014-2020, under the Annual work plan 2017. More information is available here as well as in the project website.
In Slovenia, the Re-health2 project is implemented in close cooperation with the Slovenian National Institute for Public Health and the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. Cultural mediators for Arabic and Farsi language provide assistance in the asylum centres in Ljubljana and Logatec. Their primary role is to assist in the communication between the asylum seekers, social workers and medical care professionals and to facilitate the access of patients to appropriate services and quality health care.
Re-Health – Supporting Member States under particular migratory pressure in their response to health-related challenges
Duration: 15 months (February 2016 – May 2017)
Donor: European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (SANTE)
The objectives of the regional Re-health project, which was implemented in Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia, were to:
- Establish links between the key reception settings and the health systems;
- Make use of the established Personal Health Record (PHR) and its accompanying Handbook for health professionals to evaluate the health status/health needs of the arriving refugees and migrants;
- Ensure that health assessments and preventive measures are implemented, taking into account the needs of children and other vulnerable groups;
- Ensure that data initially collected through the PHR is kept in a database so that it is available at transit and destination countries.
In Slovenia, the Re-health project was implemented in cooperation with the Slovenian National Institute for Public Health and the Ministry of the Interior. Following two trainings in cultural and health mediation which took place in 2016, three health mediators were providing assistance to aslyum seekers and staff of the asylum centres in Ljubljana and Logatec. Their primary role was to assist in the communication between the asylum seekers, social workers and medical care professionals and to facilitate the access of patients to appropriate services and quality health care by arranging appointments with doctors and interpretation.