The Victorian Refugee Health Network and Foundation House were pleased to be able to present at the 2018 APNA Nurseforce for the future conference in Brisbane about the update of the Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide and the Refugee Health Assessment template.
The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide (formerly Promoting Refugee Health) is a national resource to support doctors, nurses and other primary care providers to deliver comprehensive, evidence informed on arrival and ongoing health care for people from refugee backgrounds including people seeking asylum. The Guide has been updated by the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Trauma (Foundation House) in collaboration with nurses, including refugee health nurses and practice nurses, general practitioners, specialists, Primary Health Networks and many others. The Guide draws on the Recommendations for comprehensive post-arrival health assessment for people from refugee-like backgrounds (ASID & RHeaNA, 2016) and good practice approaches from practitioners working with people from refugee backgrounds.
The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide website is now live at refugeehealthguide.org.au and contains links to resources and state referral information that have been compiled by local services. Foundation House are interested in hearing your feedback about your experience using the new website. You can provide feedback by emailing Foundation House. The website and accompanying hard copy resource will be officially launched later in the year.
Foundation House received funding from the Australian Government for the update of the Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide.
In addition to the Guide, the Victorian Refugee Health Network were funded by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network to update the Refugee Health Assessment template. The template assists primary health care providers to undertake comprehensive refugee health assessments and has been updated to ensure that it is in line with current clinical recommendations. The project was informed by a project advisory group and over 35 consultations with doctors and nurses in private practice and community health settings. While the template was updated for a Victorian context, it may have applicability in other states. The template is due to be launched in August 2018. For further information please contact info@refugeehealthnetwork.org.au
Written by Sam Furneaux, Sector Development and Policy Advisor for the Victorian Refugee Health Network.
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