The COVID-19 Response of Health Systems Working with Refugee, Immigrant and Migrant Communities: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Refugee, immigrant, and migrant (hereafter referred to as “immigrant”) communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little data to help us understand the perspectives of health system providers on their role in addressing inequities facing immigrant populations. This qualitative study used semi-structed interviews of 20 health system providers who cared for immigrant communities during the pandemic. Interviews were conducted between November 2020 and March 2021 and were analyzed through thematic analysis. We identified seven themes (with subthemes) that represent roles health systems performed. Our findings suggest that to effectively and impactfully respond to disparately affected communities during a pandemic, health systems should focus on building trusting relationships, acting intentionally, and partnering with community-based organizations and public health.