A Structured Health Reception Programme in Primary Care for Asylum Seekers: Preliminary Clinical, Preventive, Service-Use and Psychosocial Findings

Background/Objectives: Asylum seekers may have heterogeneous clinical and preventive needs and face difficulties in finding their way through an unfamiliar health system. This study reports a preliminary cross-sectional analysis of a structured Health Reception Programme (Programa de Acogida Sanitaria, PAS) embedded in primary care within an ongoing mixed-methods project. Methods: The study was conducted in Seville, Spain, among participants whose initial PAS consultations took place between January and October 2025, with an interim analytical database cut-off in September 2026. The cohort included 122 participants. Results: Relevant infectious processes, vaccination needs, anemia, iron status, extended PAS use, and migratory grief were assessed. A relevant infectious process was detected in 26/121 participants (21.5%; 95% CI 15.1–29.6), and at least one vaccination need in 74/120 (61.7%; 52.7–69.9). Anemia was recorded in 12/122 (9.8%; 5.7–16.4), while 56/120 (46.7%; 38.0–55.6) had non-normal iron status, including 41 participants classified as having iron deficiency. Of the 12 participants with anemia, 11 were classified as having iron deficiency, whereas 30 of the 41 participants with iron deficiency did not have anemia. Female sex was associated with anemia, whereas increasing age was associated with lower odds of non-normal iron status. Thirty-five participants (28.7%) had four or more consultations. Psychosocial findings were exploratory. Conclusions: Overall, the findings support a prevention-oriented, risk-adapted primary-care reception pathway that identifies clinical needs beyond infectious-disease screening. Organizational health-literacy responsiveness requires direct evaluation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Healthcare
Published
2026-11-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14213791
Primary Topic
Migration, Health and Trauma
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

A Structured Health Reception Programme in Primary Care for Asylum Seekers: Preliminary Clinical, Preventive, Service-Use and Psychosocial Findings

Ainhoa Ruiz-Azarola, Henry Antonio Andrade-Ruiz, Sara Louise Gómez-Langley
3 links
Healthcare
Migration, Health and Trauma
article

A Structured Health Reception Programme in Primary Care for Asylum Seekers: Preliminary Clinical, Preventive, Service-Use and Psychosocial Findings

Ainhoa Ruiz-Azarola, Henry Antonio Andrade-Ruiz, Sara Louise Gómez-Langley
article en

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Asylum seekers may have heterogeneous clinical and preventive needs and face difficulties in finding their way through an unfamiliar health system. This study reports a preliminary cross-sectional analysis of a structured Health Reception Programme (Programa de Acogida Sanitaria, PAS) embedded in primary care within an ongoing mixed-methods project. Methods: The study was conducted in Seville, Spain, among participants whose initial PAS consultations took place between January and October 2025, with an interim analytical database cut-off in September 2026. The cohort included 122 participants. Results: Relevant infectious processes, vaccination needs, anemia, iron status, extended PAS use, and migratory grief were assessed. A relevant infectious process was detected in 26/121 participants (21.5%; 95% CI 15.1–29.6), and at least one vaccination need in 74/120 (61.7%; 52.7–69.9). Anemia was recorded in 12/122 (9.8%; 5.7–16.4), while 56/120 (46.7%; 38.0–55.6) had non-normal iron status, including 41 participants classified as having iron deficiency. Of the 12 participants with anemia, 11 were classified as having iron deficiency, whereas 30 of the 41 participants with iron deficiency did not have anemia. Female sex was associated with anemia, whereas increasing age was associated with lower odds of non-normal iron status. Thirty-five participants (28.7%) had four or more consultations. Psychosocial findings were exploratory. Conclusions: Overall, the findings support a prevention-oriented, risk-adapted primary-care reception pathway that identifies clinical needs beyond infectious-disease screening. Organizational health-literacy responsiveness requires direct evaluation.

HealthcareVol. 14(21)
Andalusian Health Service (ES), Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Gestión de la Investigación en Salud de Sevilla (ES), Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ES), Andalusian School of Public Health (ES)
Consejería de Salud y Bienestar Social, Junta de Andalucía
Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Migration, Health and Trauma
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