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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

John Scott, MS, Center for Public Service Communications, 3221 N. George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA 222-7, 703-536-5642, jcscott@cpsc.com, Jennifer Cochran, MPH, Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, and Gale Dutcher, MLS, Office of Outreach and Special Populations, National Library of Medicine, 2 Democracy Plaza, Room 510, Bethesda, MD 20817.

Refugees resettled in the United States are increasingly diverse in national origin, ethnicity, native language, and culture. In addition, health status is often compromised by war, social disruption and long periods in refugee camps. Public health and health care providers are challenged to provide appropriate and accessible health information as well as to improve their own capacity to deliver care that is responsive to refugees. Access to and sharing of information has been identified as critical; serving ‘new' or small communities heightens this need for quality information.

The Refugee Health Information Network (RHIN) is a web-based system developed by a collaborative partnership in response to this need for information. The partnership includes representatives from the public sector (federal, state, local), private non-profit agencies and academia. The web base invites a range of users and the potential for an expansive partnership. RHIN enables participants to share documents, news and information relevant to refugee and immigrant health; the system can also host discussion forums. The searchable RHIN database includes health education materials in refugee languages and a variety of formats (print, video, audio) and tools for clinicians (forms, community information, health alerts). The network of users includes state and local public health departments and other health professionals, and refugee service providers; easy consumer access is a future objective. Users can recommend trusted documents and other information for inclusion in the RHIN database.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify an internet-based resource for refugee health information
• Access refugee health information through the internet site Refugee Heatlh Information Network
• Recognize language and culture diversity among new refugee arrivals

Keywords: Refugees, Internet

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation