New School of Medicine research examines migrant and refugee health data in European health systems

Despite rising global mobility, the state of migrant and refugee health data in European health systems is a concern, according to a new study involving researchers at the UL School of Medicine.

The analysis by an international coalition of universities, UN organizations, government representatives and European institutions reveals that coverage of migrant and refugee data remains inconsistent and of suboptimal quality.

Professor Ailish Hannigan, Professor of Biomedical Statistics at the UL School of Medicine and member of UL’s Participatory Health Research Unit and WHO Collaborating Centre for Refugee and Migrant Health, was part of the international coalition of authors that produced the study, which has been published in the highly prestigious medical journal The Lancet Regional Health Europe.

The study finds issues in coverage of migrant and refugee data arising from multiple political and structural factors at local, national, and European levels that hinder the effective implementation of existing guidelines.

In response to the identified shortcomings in current health information systems, the authors propose four critical approaches for European health systems;

• Systematic data collection to inform evidence-based policy making
• Privacy safeguards and data integration to protect privacy while facilitating the linkage of data at relatively low cost
• Inclusive survey methods to consider the diverse needs and backgrounds of migrant and refugee populations when conducting surveys
• Empowerment through engagement of migrants and refugees in decision-making about their health and health data, and supporting them to shape the policies and practices that directly impact their lives

The coalition includes ten European universities, three national public health agencies, three Collaborating Centres of the World Health Organization, as well as several institutions and United Nations (UN) agencies such as the World Health Organization Regional Office Europe, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).  

Professor Hannigan explained: “Investing in health information systems which integrate data from refugees and migrants is crucial for healthcare planning, delivery and policy. Everyone has the right to be counted, to be fairly represented and to benefit from data collection.

“Being part of this international coalition ensures we can learn from the experience of other countries and implement best practice in Ireland. This is timely in an era when facts, not myths about refugees and migrants are required and while Ireland can intervene to minimise any health inequities that may develop.”

Professor Colum Dunne, Head of UL’s School of Medicine, said: “Professor Ailish Hannigan leads a programme of work on health information systems to understand the complexities of migrant life in Europe, and Ireland specifically. Much of this work is based in the WHO Collaborating Centre for Refugee and Migrant Health based in the School of Medicine in UL.

“Here, the concepts of integrating migrants in the research that focuses on their experience are made reality. This leads to a richness and nuance of information that’s quite different from data and numbers that are divorced from the lived experience of migrants.”

Professor Norelee Kennedy, Vice President Research noted: “This research highlights the excellence and impact of UL’s research undertaken in collaboration with international partners. This work has international relevance in highlighting that as a social determinant of health, migration can lead to health inequities between people on the move and host populations.

“This research highlights that addressing research gaps in health information systems, particularly to inform evidence-based decision-making for policy and practice is so important.”