Exploration of Syrian refugees’ experience of accessing dental health services in Scotland:A mixed-methods Study

Aim<br/>To explore Syrian refugees’ experience in accessing dental health services in Scotland. <br/><br/>Objective<br/>The specific study objectives are: <br/>1.To explore the barriers and enablers of accessing dental health services among Syrian refugees in Scotland. <br/>2.To explore the dental health professionals’ (DHPs) experience in dealing with this population in Scotland <br/>3.To explore the kind of help that refugees get to access dental health services from parties/organisations which support refugees in Scotland. <br/><br/>Methods<br/> <br/>[1] Scoping review: to explore refugees’ experience in accessing dental health services in Scotland <br/><br/>[2] Investigation of Syrian refugees’ access to dental health services in Scotland: A mixed-methods study<br/><br/>A qualitative exploration<br/>1.Interviews with Syrian refugees <br/>2.Interviews with refugee organisations’ stakeholders. <br/>3.Interviews with dentists to evaluate their experience working with this population <br/>A questionnaire development<br/> Survey with Syrian refugees in Scotland. <br/><br/>Discussion <br/>The scoping review findings explored the challenges refugees encounter when trying to access dental services in host countries. The limited availability of relevant research highlighted the necessity for a mixed methods study. Initial findings from the mixed-methods study indicated that Syrian refugees in Scotland encounter various obstacles when seeking dental care, such as language barriers, costs, and lengthy appointment wait times. Dentists also face challenges as refugees have high expectations for dental treatment quality while navigating NHS coverage.<br/>