Iron deficiency, anemia and association with refugee camp exposure among recently resettled refugees: A Canadian retrospective cohort study.

Malnutrition and poor health are common among recently resettled refugees and may be differentially associated with pre-migration exposure to refugee camp versus non-camp dwelling. We aimed to investigate the associations of iron deficiency (ID), anemia, and ID anemia (IDA) with pre-migration refugee camp exposure among recently arrived refugees to Canada. To this end, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1032 adult refugees who received care between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, within a specialized refugee health clinic in Calgary, Canada. We evaluated the prevalence, severity, and predictors of ID, anemia, and IDA, stratified by sex. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated the association of refugee camp exposure with these outcomes, adjusting for age, months in Canada prior to investigations, global region of origin, and parity. Among female refugees, the prevalence of ID, anemia, and IDA was 25% (134/534), 21% (110/534), and 14% (76/534), respectively; among males, 0.8% (4/494), 1.8% (9/494), and 0% (0/494), respectively. Anemia was mild, moderate, and severe in 55% (60/110), 44% (48/110) and 1.8% (2/110) of anemic females. Refugee camp exposure was not associated with ID, anemia, or IDA while age by year (ID OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.98; anemia OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-1.00; IDA OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99) and months in Canada prior to investigations (ID OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.72-1.01; anemia OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.67-0.97; IDA OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-1.00) were inversely correlated with these outcomes. ID, anemia, and IDA are common among recently arrived refugee women irrespective of refugee camp exposure. Our findings suggest these outcomes likely improve after resettlement; however, given proportionally few refugees are resettled globally, likely millions of refugee women and girls are affected.

An undergraduate medical curriculum framework for providing care to transgender and gender diverse patients: A modified Delphi study.

INTRODUCTION: The lack of attention to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people in undergraduate medical education (UME) is a point of concern, particularly among medical students. A project was undertaken to develop a UME curriculum framework for teaching the healthcare needs of TGD people. METHODS: Using a modified Delphi methodology, four rounds of surveys were presented to an expert stakeholder group that included content experts, generalist physicians, UME teaching faculty, and medical students. Questions covered what content should be taught, who should teach the content, and how much time should be dedicated for this teaching. Once the Delphi process was complete, feedback on the provisional framework was sought from members of the TGD community to ensure it represented their needs and perspectives. RESULTS: 71 panel members and 56 community members participated in the study. Core values included the scope of the framework, and topics such as inclusivity, and safety in practice and in teaching. The framework included terminology, epidemiology, medical and surgical treatment, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and routine primary care. There was also guidance on who should teach, time to be allocated, and the learning environment. DISCUSSION: There is a clear need to train tomorrow's doctors to provide competent and respectful healthcare services to and for TGD patients. Although local factors will likely shape the way in which this framework will be implemented in different contexts, this paper outlines a core UME-level curriculum framework for Canada and, potentially, for use in other parts of the world.

Antenatal Care Utilization and Obstetric and Newborn Outcomes Among Pregnant Refugees Attending a Specialized Refugee Clinic.

The objective of the study is to characterize the antenatal care utilization and obstetric and newborn outcomes among refugee women at a specialized refugee clinic and determine whether these outcomes varied between refugees (government-assisted or privately-sponsored) and asylum seekers. This retrospective cohort study included women receiving antenatal care at a specialized refugee clinic between 2011 and 2016. Time from arrival to first clinic visit, Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index, and obstetric and newborn outcomes were examined, stratified by refugee category. Amongst 179 women, median time from arrival to first clinic visit was longer for asylum seekers (2.8 months, IQR 12.9) compared to government-assisted and privately-sponsored refugees (0.4 months, IQR 0.7, and 1.6 months, IQR 3.2, respectively; p < 0.01). A larger proportion of asylum seeking women received inadequate antenatal care. No difference was found in obstetric and newborn outcomes. Differences in antenatal care utilization between refugee categories suggest that barriers may remain for asylum seekers; however, obstetric and newborn outcomes were comparable amongst refugee categories.

Use of portfolios for assessment of global health residents: qualitative evaluation of design and implementation.

BACKGROUND: When the Global Health training program was created at the University of Calgary, residents were encouraged to seek learning experiences that met their career goals and individualized objectives. An assessment tool was sought that could be reliable, valid, yet flexible. A portfolio process was chosen, but research was necessary to determine whether it was robust. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with academic experts in Canadian residency training, as well as directors and residents involved in Global Health study in order to assess the validity and benefit of such a tool. Through an online survey, interviews, and focus groups, views on the portfolio and intended content were collected and coded thematically. RESULTS: Multiple themes emerged from the content analysis. Overall, all stakeholders (residents and faculty) were supportive of the use of portfolios for summative assessment, mentioning authentic and varying assessments, reflective and narrative components, and mentor interaction as positive attributes, but they did have many recommendations. CONCLUSION: This qualitative evaluation validated the use of portfolios for this cohort of students while yielding comments and suggestions that will further enhance the interactive and flexible nature of this seldom used assessment tool. These findings contribute to the understanding of how Global Health assessment can remain individualized yet rigorous.