Focuses on cultural rather than medical issues that physicians may encounter in caring for refugees who have resettled in the United States. Networking between physicians and refugees’ sponsoring agencies is essential because these organizations can assist with obtaining interpreters and transportation for medical visits and provide background on the reasons refugees fled their home countries. Knowledge of particular experiences, including the traumas of life in refugee camps, can assist physicians in determining the focus of office visits. Problems often encountered in the physician’s office include cultural barriers, such as patients’ belief systems regarding illness, language barriers, and noncompliance with medication and treatment protocols. Physicians also need to be aware of special factors in caring for refugees, including the possibility of abuse in refugee families, the need to instruct families in basic safety precautions, the relatively higher risk of medical problems in refugee womenand children, the infectious and endemic diseases associated with specific refugee populations, and the prevalence of stress-related disorders. Effective health care requires that physicians understand both refugees’ experiences and cultural backgrounds. At the same time, physicians need to avoid causing dependency in their refugee patients and to encourage them to participate broadly in their new community.
