Health & Migration: Primary Care for Refugee and Migrant Patients [PHC-08-EN]

Health & Migration: Primary Care for Refugee and Migrant Patients [PHC-08-EN]

Refugee and migrant populations experience a well-documented convergence of health burdens that primary care systems are rarely structured to address: elevated rates of tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, and vaccine-preventable disease; high prevalence of poorly controlled non-communicable conditions interrupted by displacement; and substantial mental health morbidity — including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and grief-related disorders — that frequently goes undetected at first contact. Georgia and the broader South Caucasus region have seen sustained increases in mixed-migration flows, including internally displaced persons from protracted conflicts and labour migrants from across the region, placing primary health care facilities at the frontline of a population-level response for which most clinical teams have received little structured preparation. The consequences of inadequately adapted care extend beyond the individual patient: missed infectious disease diagnoses, unmanaged chronic conditions, and untreated mental health crises carry measurable downstream costs for health systems and communities. This course addresses that gap directly, providing clinic teams with the competencies required to deliver safe, equitable, and legally grounded care from the first point of contact.

The curriculum is grounded in WHO’s Refugee and Migrant Health framework, the IOM guidelines on migrant-sensitive health systems, and primary care evidence synthesised through Cochrane reviews and peer-reviewed implementation studies from comparable middle-income health system contexts. Teaching is structured around realistic clinical scenarios, structured assessment instruments, and interdisciplinary case-based learning — enabling participants to translate framework knowledge into immediate, practical protocol changes within their own facilities. Where applicable, content references Joint Commission International standards on patient-centred care and the Georgian State Universal Health Care Programme requirements, ensuring local regulatory relevance.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Distinguish the principal infectious, non-communicable, and mental health risk profiles associated with specific refugee and migrant subgroups, and apply this stratification to triage and initial assessment decisions.
• Implement a structured, trauma-informed intake protocol — including validated screening tools for PTSD, depression, and adverse childhood experiences — adapted for use with interpreters in time-limited primary care consultations.
• Interpret national immunisation catch-up schedules and WHO guidance on presumptive versus targeted screening for tuberculosis and bloodborne viruses in newly arrived populations.
• Construct a culturally and linguistically adapted care plan for a patient with an interrupted chronic disease history, incorporating continuity-of-care principles consistent with people-centred primary health care standards.
• Evaluate the legal and ethical obligations of healthcare providers under Georgian law and international human rights instruments regarding treatment regardless of residency or documentation status.
• Design facility-level process adaptations — including interpreter access pathways, referral linkages to psychosocial support services, and staff safety protocols — that measurably reduce barriers to equitable care for refugee and migrant patients.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for general practitioners, family medicine physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals working in primary health care settings, community health centres, and emergency outpatient facilities where refugee or migrant patients present — whether in urban polyclinics, border-region facilities, or NGO-supported health posts across Georgia and the South Caucasus. It is equally relevant to health facility administrators and primary care team leads responsible for developing institutional protocols and staff training programmes for diverse patient populations. No prior specialisation in migration medicine is required; the course is designed for clinicians at any career stage seeking to formalise and extend competencies they may have begun developing through direct practice.

Course Structure

This course is delivered entirely online through the GMJ Academy platform, comprising six structured modules with an estimated total study time of eight to ten hours, including embedded clinical case analyses and reflective exercises; participants complete a summative assessment to demonstrate competency attainment. Successful completion qualifies for Category 1 CME/CPD credits in accordance with the standards of the Georgian Medical Association.