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Primary Care Screening Methods and Outcomes for Asylum Seekers in New York City

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Abstract

Effective screening in primary care among asylum-seekers in the US is critical as this population grows. This study aimed to evaluate disease prevalence and screening methods in this high-risk group. Two hundred ten new clients from 51 countries, plus Tibet, who were accepted into a program for asylum seekers from 2012 to 2014 were included. Screening rates and outcomes for infectious, non-communicable, and mental illnesses were evaluated. Screening rates were highest for PTSD, depression, hepatitis B, and latent tuberculosis. Seventy-one percent of clients screened positive for depression and 55 % for PTSD, followed by latent tuberculosis (41 %), hypertension (10 %), hepatitis B (9.4 %), and HIV (0.8 %). Overall screening rates were high. Point of care testing was more effective than testing that required a repeat visit. A large psychiatric and infectious disease burden was identified. These findings can inform future primary care screening efforts for asylum seekers in the US.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Tenying Yangsel, Avazeh Attari, Lillian Perdomo, Sarah Rosenbaum, M.D., Sowmya Josyula, M.D. and Andrew Rasmussen, Ph.D., for their invaluable contributions to this project at PSOT. Funding was provided by Merrin Faculty Development Program, Program for Medical Education and Innovation Research, New York University School of Medicine (US).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Nathan S. Bertelsen, Elizabeth Selden & Allen Keller

  2. Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Nathan S. Bertelsen & Allen Keller

  3. New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Polina Krass

  4. University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada

    Eva S. Keatley

  5. Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY, USA

    Nathan S. Bertelsen, Elizabeth Selden, Eva S. Keatley & Allen Keller

  6. Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nathan S. Bertelsen

Authors
  1. Nathan S. Bertelsen
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  2. Elizabeth Selden
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  4. Eva S. Keatley
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Correspondence to Nathan S. Bertelsen.

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Bertelsen, N.S., Selden, E., Krass, P. et al. Primary Care Screening Methods and Outcomes for Asylum Seekers in New York City. J Immigrant Minority Health 20, 171–177 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0507-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0507-y

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