Displacement, Migration, and Transition: Development of a Post-Resettlement Assessment Instrument

Purpose:

This presentation highlights the ongoing development of a post-resettlement assessment instrument that encompasses the sociopolitical, economic, and cultural dimensions of assessment and needed care.  The researcher: (1) identifies the healthcare needs of diverse persons who have experienced significant displacement and life transitions in the process of resettlement; and (2) recommends the use of culturally sensitive assessment strategies in health promotion and disease prevention in the care of diverse persons.

Certain groups continue to experience poorer health and disparities in care despite years of resettlement in the U.S. Women headed households in particular are especially vulnerable to disconnections in care resulting from haphazard or no assessment. Additionally, women struggle with issues of economic self‑sufficiency for their families and may lack resources for seeking care.

Established assessment tools have been developed from a Western medical perspective. These however, while useful for screening and identification of symptomatology, may not account for the lingering socioeconomic and sociopolitical factors that continue to haunt persons and families who are displaced, or who are experiencing significant life transitions and issues in resettlement.

Methods:

The author’s prior research findings with refugee women and healthcare professionals provide substance for the development of a resettlement assessment instrument. The items are under development and incorporate the continuum of migrational life experiences that influence health status, care-seeking behaviors, healthcare decisions, and well-being. The instrument includes items that measure perceived consequences, either negative or positive, of care-seeking behaviors and healthcare decisions. The instrument will be sent to nurses and allied healthcare professionals, administrators, social service agencies, and persons who have experienced displacement, migration, and resettlement.  

Results:

Overall content validity and a content validity index will be determined for each item of the instrument. Further refinement and testing of the instrument will aid nurses in providing culturally sensitive and seamless care, with timely and appropriate referral to needed services.

Conclusion:

Further research must be done in the development of valid, reliable cultural assessment tools in improving the health and well-being of resettled populations and their outcomes of care.