Overcoming denominator problems in refugee settings with fragmented electronic records for health and immigration data: a prediction-based approach.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies in refugee settings are often challenged by the denominator problem, i.e. lack of population at risk data. We develop an empirical approach to address this problem by assessing relationships between occupancy data in refugee centres, number of refugee patients in walk-in clinics, and diseases of the digestive system. METHODS: Individual-level patient data from a primary care surveillance system (PriCarenet) was matched with occupancy data retrieved from immigration authorities. The three relationships were analysed using regression models, considering age, sex, and type of centre. Then predictions for the respective data category not available in each of the relationships were made. Twenty-one German on-site health care facilities in state-level registration and reception centres participated in the study, covering the time period from November 2017 to July 2021. RESULTS: 445 observations ("centre-months") for patient data from electronic health records (EHR, 230 mean walk-in clinics visiting refugee patients per month and centre; standard deviation sd: 202) of a total of 47.617 refugee patients were available, 215 for occupancy data (OCC, mean occupancy of 348 residents, sd: 287), 147 for both (matched), leaving 270 observations without occupancy (EHR-unmatched) and 40 without patient data (OCC-unmatched). The incidence of diseases of the digestive system, using patients as denominators in the different sub-data sets were 9.2% (sd: 5.9) in EHR, 8.8% (sd: 5.1) when matched, 9.6% (sd: 6.4) in EHR- and 12% (sd 2.9) in OCC-unmatched. Using the available or predicted occupancy as denominator yielded average incidence estimates (per centre and month) of 4.7% (sd: 3.2) in matched data, 4.8% (sd: 3.3) in EHR- and 7.4% (sd: 2.7) in OCC-unmatched. CONCLUSIONS: By modelling the ratio between patient and occupancy numbers in refugee centres depending on sex and age, as well as on the total number of patients or occupancy, the denominator problem in health monitoring systems could be mitigated. The approach helped to estimate the missing component of the denominator, and to compare disease frequency across time and refugee centres more accurately using an empirically grounded prediction of disease frequency based on demographic and centre typology. This avoided over-estimation of disease frequency as opposed to the use of patients as denominators.

[Early crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic in collective accommodation facilities for refugees : Analysis of cross-actor working arrangements from the perspective of the reception authorities in Germany]. / Krisenreaktion zu Beginn der COVID-19-Pandemie in Sammelunterkünften für Geflüchtete : Analyse der akteursübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit aus Perspektive der Aufnahmebehörden in Deutschland.

BACKGROUND: Refugees in collective accommodation facilities are at increased risk of COVID-19-infections due to high occupancy density and shared spaces. It is unclear which (organisational) actors the reception authorities were working with in their crisis response and how. The aim of this paper is to examine the working arrangements between reception authorities and other actors involved in accommodation and (health) care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and to derive recommendations for future crisis responses. METHODS: The analysis was based on qualitative interviews with representatives responsible for the reception and accommodation of refugees (N = 46) conducted from May to July 2020. Cross-actor networks were visualised, and a qualitative analysis of the data material was carried out using the framework method. RESULTS: The reception authorities worked with a multitude of other (organisational) actors. Health authorities, social workers and security personnel were mentioned most frequently. The crisis response was found to be highly heterogeneous due to its dependence on the commitment, knowledge and attitude of the individuals and organisations involved. In the absence of a coordinating actor, there may also be delays due to a "wait-and-see" attitude of the actors involved. CONCLUSION: Crisis response in collective accommodation facilities for refugees would benefit from a clear allocation of the coordinating role to an appropriate actor. Instead of improvised ad hoc solutions, sustainable improvements in terms of transformative resilience are needed to reduce structural vulnerabilities.

[COVID-19 in collective accommodation centres for refugees: assessment of pandemic control measures and priorities from the perspective of authorities]. / COVID-19 in Sammelunterkünften für Geflüchtete: Analyse von Pandemiemaßnahmen und prioritäre Bedarfe aus behördlicher Sicht.

BACKGROUND: The containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in collective accommodation centres is crucial to maintain the physical and mental health of refugees. It is unclear what measures have been taken by authorities in this setting to reduce the risk of infection, minimise stressors for refugees during the pandemic and communicate containment measures. OBJECTIVES: Assessment of measures that have been taken to prevent and contain SARS-CoV­2 in collective accommodation for refugees and identification of support required by authorities. METHODS: Qualitative interview study with 48 representatives responsible for the reception and accommodation of refugees. Individual interviews were transcribed verbatim and evaluated using framework analysis. RESULTS: We found substantial heterogeneity of measures taken to prevent infection, inform refugees, maintain social and health services, test for SARS-CoV­2 and quarantine positive cases. Effective intersectoral cooperation proved to be particularly important for coordination and implementation of measures. Need for support was expressed with regard to the improvement of infrastructure, opportunities to work with language interpreters and stronger involvement of local health experts. CONCLUSION: Amidst multiple actors and the complexity of structures and processes, the admission authorities have been taking on essential responsibilities related to infection control on an ad hoc basis, without being sufficiently positioned to do so. In order to further contain the pandemic, a strengthening of centralised, setting-specific recommendations and information as well as their translation through the pro-active involvement of the public health authorities at the local level are essential.

Public-private knowledge transfer and access to medicines: a systematic review and qualitative study of perceptions and roles of scientists involved in HPV vaccine research.

BACKGROUND: Public research organizations and their interactions with industry partners play a crucial role for public health and access to medicines. The development and commercialization of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines illustrate how licensing practices of public research organizations can contribute to high prices of the resulting product and affect accessibility to vulnerable populations. Efforts by the international community to improve access to medicines have recognised this issue and promote the public health-sensitive management of research conducted by public research organizations. This paper explores: how medical knowledge is exchanged between public and private actors; what role inventor scientists play in this process; and how they view the implementation of public health-sensitive knowledge exchange strategies. METHODS: We conducted a systematic qualitative literature review on medical knowledge exchange and qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of public sector scientists working on HPV vaccines. We explored the strategies by which knowledge is exchanged across institutional boundaries, how these strategies are negotiated, and the views of scientists regarding public health-sensitive knowledge exchange. RESULTS: We included 13 studies in the systematic review and conducted seven semi-structured interviews with high-ranking scientists. The main avenues of public-private medical knowledge exchange were publications, formal transfer of patented knowledge, problem-specific exchanges such as service agreements, informal exchanges and collaborative research. Scientists played a crucial role in these processes but appeared to be sceptical of public health-sensitive knowledge exchange strategies, as these were believed to deter corporate interest in the development of new medicines and thus risk the translation of the scientists' research. CONCLUSION: Medical scientists at public research institutions play a key role in the exchange of knowledge they generate and are concerned about the accessibility of medicines resulting from their research. Their scepticism towards implementing public health-sensitive knowledge management strategies appears to be based on a biased understanding of the costs and risks involved in drug development and a perceived lack of alternatives to private engagement. Scientists could be encouraged to exchange knowledge in a public health-sensitive manner through not-for-profit drug development mechanisms, education on industry engagement, and stronger institutional and legal backing.

[Healthcare provision for asylum seekers in reception centres : Qualitative survey from the perspective of healthcare providers]. / Medizinische Versorgung von Asylsuchenden in Erstaufnahmeeinrichtungen : Eine qualitative Bestandsaufnahme aus Versorgungsperspektive.

During the time of increased in-migration of asylum seekers to Germany in 2015 and 2016, different models of healthcare provision were established in reception centres, often on an ad hoc basis and influenced by local actors. The goal of this study was to map different care models and identify challenges in the implementation of effective and needs-based health service structures.Data was generated through 13 semi-structured interviews and in an interactive workshop with group discussions. An analysis was conducted using a qualitative content analysis method. Participants were stakeholders from clinics in reception centres, including medical and healthcare personnel, administrators, representatives of public health offices and researchers.Different models of ambulatory care have formed as a response to the particular medical needs of asylum seekers and the complex context in which care takes place, often exceeding the simple offer of primary care. The facilities fundamentally differ with regard to objectives and organisational aspects, e.g. the responsible carrier, structure of human resources and the extent of health services provided. Shared challenges include planning needs-based care, the lack of shared guidelines and a lack of opportunities for exchange between the different actors working in the clinics. Action is required to transform ad hoc initiatives into resilient health care practices, particularly regarding structured and continued opportunities for exchange, as well as the development and implementation of nation-wide guidelines. Jointly developed areas for action and proposed solutions presented here can serve as a basis for further work in this area.

Health monitoring among asylum seekers and refugees: a state-wide, cross-sectional, population-based study in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Health monitoring in Germany falls short on generating timely, reliable and representative data among migrants, especially transient and marginalized groups such as asylum seekers and refugees (ASR). We aim to advance current health monitoring approaches and obtain reliable estimates on health status and access to essential healthcare services among ASR in Germany's third largest federal state, Baden-Württemberg. METHODS: We conducted a state-wide, cross-sectional, population-based health monitoring survey in nine languages among ASR and their children in collective accommodation centres in 44 districts. Questionnaire items capturing health status, access to care, and sociodemographic variables were taken from established surveys and translated using a team approach. Random sampling on the level of 1938 accommodation centres with 70,634 ASR was employed to draw a balanced sample of 65 centres with a net sample of 1% of the state's ASR population. Multilingual field teams recruited eligible participants using a "door-to-door" approach. Parents completed an additional questionnaire on behalf of their children. RESULTS: The final sample comprised 58 centres with 1843 ASR. Of the total sample expected eligible (N = 987), 41.7% (n = 412) participated in the survey. Overall, 157 households had children and received a children's questionnaire; 61% (n = 95) of these were returned. Age, sex, and nationality of the included sample were comparable to the total population of asylum applicants in Germany. Adults reported longstanding limitations (16%), bad/very bad general health (19%), pain (25%), chronic illness (40%), depression (46%), and anxiety (45%). 52% utilised primary and 37% specialist care services in the previous 12 months, while reporting unmet needs for primary (31%) and specialist care (32%). Younger and male participants had above-average health status and below-average utilisation compared to older and female ASR. CONCLUSIONS: Our health monitoring survey yielded reliable estimates on health status and health care access among ASR, revealing relevant morbidities and patterns of care. Applying rigorous epidemiological methods in linguistically diverse, transient and marginalized populations is challenging, but feasible. Integration of this approach into state- and nation-wide health monitoring strategies is needed in order to sustain this approach as a health planning tool.

[Health and primary care surveillance among asylum seekers in reception centres in Germany: concept, development, and implementation]. / Surveillance der Gesundheit und primärmedizinischen Versorgung von Asylsuchenden in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen: Konzept, Entwicklung und Implementierung.

BACKGROUND: Reliable data on health and primary care among asylum seekers in reception centres are not routinely available, but required to plan needs-based healthcare services. OBJECTIVES: To present the concept, development, and implementation of a routine surveillance system in reception centres for asylum seekers. METHODS: In the scope of the project PRICARE, medical records in reception centres were standardized and digitized, and continuous surveillance was enabled by means of suitable IT infrastructure. The core elements of the surveillance system were developed in three project phases using an iterative and participative design. FUNDING: Federal Ministry of Health (Grant no. 2516FSB415). RESULTS: Forming the basis for the surveillance, the electronic health record Refugee Care Manager® (RefCare®) was developed and gradually implemented in 13 reception centres in three federal states. For implementing the tool in daily care routines, IT infrastructure was implemented in all sites and a legally required data protection concept was established. An indicator set was developed and agreed upon for the surveillance, comprising a total of 64 indicators in four domains: morbidity, processes of care, quality of care, and syndromic alerts. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time in Germany, a harmonized infrastructure spanning federal states was implemented in healthcare settings ensuring medical documentation and surveillance of health and healthcare of asylum seekers in conformity with data protection requirements. The surveillance is feasible; the long-term benefits of routine surveillance and research within the network will be assessed in the future.

Early evaluation of experiences of health care providers in reception centers with a patient-held personal health record for asylum seekers: a multi-sited qualitative study in a German federal state.

BACKGROUND: The provision of high-quality medical care to asylum seekers represents a key challenge in many countries of the European Union. Especially continuity of care has been difficult to achieve as the migrant trajectory moves asylum seekers across and within European countries. Patient-held personal health records (PHR) have been proposed to facilitate the transfer of medical history between health sectors and providers, but so far there is no data to support its use in the migrant setting. The present paper addresses this knowledge gap by exploring the experiences and practices of healthcare providers in reception centers for asylum seekers using a patient-held PHR as well as the perceived associated benefits and shortcomings. METHODS: Early evaluation by means of a multi-sited qualitative study in six asylum seeker reception centers in five cities in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, conducted between November 2016 and January 2017. The PHR evaluated in this study was implemented in five of these reception centers between February and October 2016; the remaining one only receiving patients with the PHR through transfer from the other facilities. 17 interviews were conducted with physicians and nurses working at these reception centers exploring their experiences, routines, and perspectives regarding the patient-held PHR. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed following the approach of thematic analysis. RESULTS: Healthcare providers recognise the potential of a patient-held PHR to improve access to medical history. They use the PHR to document their medical consultations and to collect other medical reports. However, physician adherence to the patient-held PHR was described as unsatisfactory, in particular among external doctors, thus limiting its immediate benefit. Reasons given for this low adherence included lack of information before implementation, demanding working conditions with little support, low perceived benefits depending on the degree of fragmentation of settings, parallel existence of other documentation platforms and strained patient relationships. CONCLUSION: A patient-held PHR could improve the availability of health-related information in reception centers if a context-sensitive implementation process achieves high adherence to the PHR among physicians as well as high patient compliance and includes guidelines regarding its adequate integration into local routines.

Public health relevance of medicines developed under paediatric legislation in Europe and the USA: a systematic mapping study.

BACKGROUND: Legislation in the European Union (EU) and the USA promoting the development of paediatric medicines has contributed to new treatments for children. This study explores how such legislation responds to paediatric health needs in different country settings and globally, and whether it should be considered for wider implementation. METHODS: We searched EU and US regulatory databases for medicines with approved indications resulting from completed paediatric development between 2007 and 2018. Of 195 medicines identified, 187 could be systematically mapped to the burden of the target disease for six study countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Kenya, Russia, South Africa) and globally, using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). All medicines were also screened for inclusion on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and the EML for children under 13 years (EMLc). RESULTS: The studied medicines were disproportionately focused on non-communicable diseases, which represented 68% of medicines and 21% of global paediatric DALYs. On the other hand, we found 28% of medicines for communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional disorders, representing 73% of global paediatric DALYs. Neonatal disorders and malaria were mapped with two medicines, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases with none. The gap between medicines and paediatric DALYs was greater in countries with lower income. Still, 34% of medicines are included in the EMLc and 48% in the EML. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric policies in the EU and the USA are only partially responsive to paediatric health needs. To be considered for wider implementation, paediatric incentives and obligations should be more targeted towards paediatric health needs. International harmonisation of legislation and alignment with global research priorities could further strengthen its impact on child health and support ongoing efforts to improve access to medicines. Furthermore, efforts should be made to ensure global access to authorised paediatric medicines.

SARS-CoV-2 attack rate in reception and accommodation centres for asylum seekers during the first wave: Systematic review of outbreak media reports in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: Despite concerns about the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) in refugee camps, data on attack rates and effectiveness of containment measures are lacking. We aimed to (1) quantify the attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 during outbreaks in reception and accommodation centres in Germany during the first pandemic wave, (2) assess differences in the attack rate based on containment measures, and (3) provide an overview of testing strategies, communication, conflicts, and protection measures for refugees with special needs. METHODS: Systematic web-based review of outbreak media reports (until June 2020) on confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in reception centres for asylum seekers in Germany using the google search engine. Reports were screened for pre-defined inclusion criteria and complemented by snowball searches. Data on facility name, location, confirmed cases, containment measures, communication, protection strategies, and conflicts was extracted for each outbreak and reporting date. Evidence synthesis: meta-analysis and negative binomial regression. FINDINGS: We identified 337 media reports on 101 SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in 99 reception and accommodation centres in Germany. The pooled SARS-CoV-2 attack rate was 13.1% (95% confidence interval, CI: 9.8-16.7). Outbreak sites implementing mass quarantine (n = 76) showed higher rates (15.7; 95% CI: 11.6-20.2) compared to sites using conventional strategies (6.6; 95% CI: 3.1-11.2), yielding a rate ratio of 0.44 (95% CI: 0.27-0.72) adjusted for testing strategies, type and size of accommodation. Conflicts occurred in at least 11.8% of all outbreaks. Few sites reported specific measures to protect refugees with special needs. CONCLUSION: Mass quarantine is associated with higher attack rates, and appears to be a counter-productive containment measure in overcrowded camps, but further research with individual-level data is required to rule out residual confounding. Despite available vaccines, reception centres and refugee camps should follow the available guidelines on COVID-19 response and refrain from mass quarantine if physical distancing cannot be guaranteed.

Conceptualising difference: a qualitative study of physicians' views on healthcare encounters with asylum seekers.

OBJECTIVES: In many high-income countries, structural, legal, social and political barriers to adequate healthcare interfere with the ability of health professionals to respond to the healthcare needs of a fluctuating and superdiverse population of asylum seekers. However, the relationship between individual, interpersonal and structural factors is not well understood. We explore the views and experiences of physicians working with asylum seekers in Germany and aim to identify how these may impact the provision of medical care. METHODS: A secondary analysis of 16 semistructured interviews conducted in two qualitative studies was performed. These explored the delivery of medical care to asylum seekers in Germany. In order to examine physicians' views towards their work with asylum seekers, we analysed evaluative judgements on interpersonal relationships, workplace factors, the external environment, the physician's own self and individual medical conduct. Analysis was conducted by identifying cross-cutting themes through thematic analysis and mapping these onto a framework matrix. RESULTS: Physicians perceive the provision of medical care to asylum seekers as 'different'. This 'difference' is conceptualised at three levels: patients' perceived cultural attributes, the workplace or contextual level. Evaluative judgements on patients perceived as 'other' and the difference of the space of care provision were found to impede appropriate care, while physicians emphasising contextual factors reported more responsive medical practices. CONCLUSIONS: Concepts of difference at patient level resemble processes of 'othering' asylum seekers as a 'different patient group', while differences in rules, norms and practices in settings of medical care to asylum seekers create heterotopic spaces. Both appear to endanger the doctor-patient relationship and responsiveness of care, while an understanding of differences attributed to context seemed to foster a more caring approach. Training in contextual competence, sufficient physical and human resources and encouraging support between physicians working with asylum-seeking patients could counteract these processes.

Maternal mental healthcare needs of refugee women in a State Registration and Reception Centre in Germany: A descriptive study.

Pregnant refugees and new mothers are at high risk of developing mental health problems. Previous research has highlighted an increase in adverse pre-, peri- and postpartum outcomes in refugee women and their newborns. This descriptive study aimed to present the characteristics and needs of refugee women who attended a psychosocial walk-in clinic addressing pregnant refugees' and new mothers' maternity mental healthcare needs in a state registration and reception centre in Germany. We assessed all patients that consulted the clinic and received interventions during the first 28 weeks after it opened, collecting information on symptoms, diagnoses, attitudes towards and experience of pregnancy, birth, obstetric care and applied psychosocial interventions during consultations. Between November 2017 and May 2018, N = 120 pregnant refugees and new mothers attended the clinic. Most patients were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress-, adjustment- or depressive disorder. While 69.6% of the women reported physical and mental health problems during pregnancy, 87.4% experienced obstetric complications. Trauma-informed and psychoeducational interventions were primarily used during counselling sessions. Our data underpin the glaring disparities in refugee maternal healthcare in Germany. Maternal care designed to meet the specific needs of pregnant refugees and mothers is essential. More targeted, evidence-based and cost-effective interventions are needed. Our psychosocial walk-in clinic is a first step towards ensuring primary care delivery for refugee women during the particularly vulnerable period of pregnancy and early motherhood.

Health monitoring of refugees in reception centres for asylum seekers: Decentralized surveillance network for the analysis of routine medical data.

Refugees and asylum seekers living in reception centres tend to be not adequately included in population-based studies, routine medical data and official statistics. As part of the research project 'Health and primary-care sentinel surveillance in reception- and accommodation-centres for asylum-seekers in Germany' (PriCare), a health-monitoring approach was developed for the secondary use of routine medical data from on-site outpatient clinics in reception centres. To this end, a software application (Refugee Care Manager, RefCare©) for the digitisation and harmonisation of medical records was designed and implemented in reception centres in three German federal states. The approach of distributed computing in a surveillance network allows for the decentralised, harmonised analysis of the routine medical data stored in RefCare© in a manner that fully complies with data protection regulations and circumvents the need for centralised data storage. RefCare© provides an integrated surveillance feature that enables analyses of 64 indicators on population, morbidity, healthcare processes and quality of care to be undertaken across multiple facilities. This article describes the conceptual and practical approach and the technical procedures put in place to do so, and provides examples of the results that have been gained so far.

Health and medical care for refugees: design and evaluation of a multidisciplinary clinical elective for medical students.

Objective: Caring for refugee patients places special demands on health professionals. To date, medical students in Germany have rarely been systematically prepared for these challenges. This article reports on the development, conceptualisation, implementation, evaluation, and relevance of a multidisciplinary elective for medical students in the clinical study phase. Methodology: The course content was developed based on a needs-assessment among medical students and in cooperation with medical colleagues working in the field of refugee care. The course consisted of a seminar with medical, legal, administrative and socio-cultural learning content as well as a field placement in the medical outpatient clinic of the local reception centre for asylum seekers, which was accompanied by a systematic reflection process. The evaluation concept contained qualitative and quantitative elements. Results: 123 students completed the elective over six semesters (summer 2016 through to winter 2018). It was continuously evaluated and further developed. The students reported learning progress mainly in the following areas: Legal foundations of the asylum procedure and health care entitlements for asylum seekers; multi-perspectivity through multidisciplinarity as well as professional, ethical, interpersonal, and political insights gained through the practical experience. Summary: To prepare students for the complex challenges to be faced in medical care for refugees, a structured, multidisciplinary teaching programme, which combines theory, practice and reflection helps to foster insights into the many facets of this field of activity. The questions students brought to the seminar, the course contents and evaluation results are intended to inspire the design and implementation of similar courses at other universities.

The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a patient-held health record (PHR) for asylum seekers on the availability of health-related information. METHODS: An explorative, cluster-randomised stepped-wedge trial with reception centres as unit of randomisation was conducted. All reception centres (n=6) in two large administrative areas in South Germany with on-site health services were included. All physicians working at these centres were invited to participate in the study. The intervention was the implementation of a PHR. The primary outcome was the prevalence of written health-related information. Secondary outcomes were the physicians' dissatisfaction with the available written information and the prevalence of missing health-related information. All outcomes were measured at the level of patient-physician contacts by means of a standardised questionnaire, and analysed in logistic multi-level regression models. RESULTS: We obtained data on 2308 patient-physician contacts. The presence of the PHR increased the availability of health-related information (adjusted OR (aOR), 20.3, 95% CI: 12.74 to 32.33), and tended to reduce missing essential information (aOR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.26) and physicians' dissatisfaction with available information (aOR 0.5, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.04). The availability of health-related information in the post-intervention period was higher (aOR 4.22, 95% CI: 2.64 to 6.73), missing information (aOR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.42 to 1.88) and dissatisfaction (aOR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.14) tended to be lower compared with the pre-intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare planners should consider introducing PHRs in reception centres or comparable facilities. Future research should focus on the impact of PHRs on clinical outcomes and on intersectoral care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN13212716. Registered 24 November 2016. Retrospectively registered. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13212716.

Characteristics and determinants of knowledge transfer policies at universities and public institutions in medical research--protocol for a systematic review of the qualitative research literature.

BACKGROUND: Universities, public institutions, and the transfer of knowledge to the private sector play a major role in the development of medical technologies. The decisions of universities and public institutions regarding the transfer of knowledge impact the accessibility of the final product, making it easier or more difficult for consumers to access these products. In the case of medical research, these products are pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, or medical procedures. The ethical dimension of access to these potentially lifesaving products is apparent and distinguishes the transfer of medical knowledge from the transfer of knowledge in other areas. While the general field of technology transfer from academic and public to private actors is attracting an increasing amount of scholarly attention, the specifications of knowledge transfer in the medical field are not as well explored. This review seeks to provide a systematic overview and analysis of the qualitative literature on the characteristics and determinants of knowledge transfer in medical research and development. METHODS: The review systematically searches the literature for qualitative studies that focus on knowledge transfer characteristics and determinants at medical academic and public research institutions. It aims at identifying and analyzing the literature on the content and context of knowledge transfer policies, decision-making processes, and actors at academic and public institutions. The search strategy includes the databases PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, and DiVa. These databases will be searched based on pre-specified search terms. The studies selected for inclusion in the review will be critically assessed for their quality utilizing the Qualitative Research Checklist developed by the Clinical Appraisal Skills Programme. Data extraction and synthesis will be based on the meta-ethnographic approach. DISCUSSION: This review seeks to further the understanding of the kinds of transfer pathways that exist in medical knowledge transfer as well as what factors lead to the adoption of one pathway over another. The aim is to provide evidence for political and academic actors designing policies for the translation of medical knowledge and public-private cooperation. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42015014241 .