The nexus of immigration regulation and health governance: a scoping review of the extent to which right to access healthcare by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers was upheld in the United Kingdom during COVID-19

Objectives Complementing the well-established evidence base on health inequalities experienced by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the UK; we examined the extent to which their right to equal non-discriminatory access to health services (promotive, preventive, curative) was upheld during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study design Arksey and O′Malley's scoping review framework. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted on Medline, PubMed, and CINAHL using detailed MESH terms, for literature published between 01 January 2020 and 01 January 2024. The process was supported by a ten-page Google search and hand searching of reference lists. 42 records meeting the inclusion criteria were charted, coded inductively and analysed thematically in an integrated team-based approach. Results Dissonance between immigration regulation and health governance is illustrated in four themes: Health systems leveraged to (re)enforce the hostile environment; Dissonance between health rights on paper and in practice; Structural failures to overcome communication and digital exclusion; and COVID-19 vaccine (in)equity exacerbated fear, mistrust and exclusion. Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers encountered substantial individual, structural and policy-level barriers to accessing healthcare in the UK during COVID-19. Insecure immigration status, institutional mistrust, data-sharing and charging fears, communication challenges and digital exclusion impacted heavily on their ability to access healthcare in an equitable non-discriminatory manner. Conclusions An inclusive and innovative health equity and rights-based responses reaching all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are warranted if the National Health Service is to live up to its promise of ‘leaving no one behind’ in post-pandemic and future responses

Identifying the key components of social support for patients living with type 2 diabetes: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of type 2 diabetes social support interventions

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a disease that impacts a huge portion of the world's population. The number of T2D cases is expected to keep rising during the next decade. Committing to the treatment to manage this condition makes participants feel a burden of emotions making them require emotional support from caregivers or close ones. Support from family or caregivers can help improve glycaemia control, medication adherence, and T2D self-management. However, little is known about what aspects of social support effectively improve patients' T2D self-management outcomes. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to identify the effective components of social support that can help participants improve their T2D self-management. Methods: The protocol of this review was developed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The PRISMA recommendations were applied to develop a search strategy in collaboration with a team of academics to identify relevant T2D social support interventions via healthcare and psychology databases, Medline, Web of Science, ProQuest, CINHAL. Discussion: This review will provide an overview of what intervention social support components have a significant impact on T2D glycaemia control. These findings will inform future T2D interventions on what social support components could be used to encourage better diabetes self-management and glycemic control

Insights into primary care physicians’ detection, intervention and management of patients with substance use disorders in Egypt

Egypt is experiencing an increasing drug problem (cannabis, heroin, amphetamines, pharmaceutical opioids, synthetic cannabinoids). Whilst harm reduction and addiction treatment are provided by government and non-governmental organisations in Egypt, very little is known about physicians experience of handling patient substance use and substance use disorder (SUD) in primary care. A cross-sectional national study of 392 Egyptian Family Physicians (FPs) & General Practitioners (GPs) explored their knowledge, attitude and professional practice regarding management of SUD in primary care, as a first step towards identifying professional development support needs and informing general practice. Findings underscore the need for greater depth of addiction training during undergraduate medical education and in continuing professional development, so that Egyptian FPs/GPs can better prevent harmful substance use, detect patients with SUD, intervene and support those in treatment. This study provides unique information which will inform further development and scale of evidence based SUD brief intervention and treatment within Egyptian primary car

The nexus of immigration regulation and health governance: a scoping review of the extent to which right to access healthcare by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers was upheld in the United Kingdom during COVID-19

Objectives Complementing the well-established evidence base on health inequalities experienced by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the UK; we examined the extent to which their right to equal non-discriminatory access to health services (promotive, preventive, curative) was upheld during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study design Arksey and O′Malley's scoping review framework. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted on Medline, PubMed, and CINAHL using detailed MESH terms, for literature published between 01 January 2020 and 01 January 2024. The process was supported by a ten-page Google search and hand searching of reference lists. 42 records meeting the inclusion criteria were charted, coded inductively and analysed thematically in an integrated team-based approach. Results Dissonance between immigration regulation and health governance is illustrated in four themes: Health systems leveraged to (re)enforce the hostile environment; Dissonance between health rights on paper and in practice; Structural failures to overcome communication and digital exclusion; and COVID-19 vaccine (in)equity exacerbated fear, mistrust and exclusion. Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers encountered substantial individual, structural and policy-level barriers to accessing healthcare in the UK during COVID-19. Insecure immigration status, institutional mistrust, data-sharing and charging fears, communication challenges and digital exclusion impacted heavily on their ability to access healthcare in an equitable non-discriminatory manner. Conclusions An inclusive and innovative health equity and rights-based responses reaching all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are warranted if the National Health Service is to live up to its promise of ‘leaving no one behind’ in post-pandemic and future responses

‘What is optimal integrated multi-agency Throughcare?’: a global e-Delphi consensus study defining core components of effective rehabilitation and reintegration programming

Purpose: The global prison population has reached its highest level to date (11.5 million), with comparative data on recidivism unavailable. Despite the global shift away from punitive and toward rehabilitative approaches, reintegration programming (Throughcare) is limited, ill-resourced or nonexistent in many countries. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted a global e-Delphi consensus study of professionals working in prison and correctional services to define critical components of effective rehabilitation and reintegration programming. Consensus was defined a priori as 70% or more participants scoring an outcome from seven to nine and fewer than 15% scoring it one to three. Findings: Following a call for expression of interest circulated to the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) member list (n=7282), 175 members agreed to partake in the e-Delphi rounds. In Round One 130 individuals completed an online survey where 35 statements were scored by importance, each with opportunity to provide written feedback. 33 statements exceeded the set threshold of consensus. Written feedback supported refinement and further development of statements in Round Two. 108 individuals completed Round Two. 39 out of the 40 statements exceeded the set threshold of consensus. Practical implications: Consensus statements are useful to provide a shared understanding for interagency Throughcare partnerships, to inform national prison policies, and to expand prison and support staff capacity building and programmes all over the world. Originality: To date, this is the first known attempt to elicit consensus from a broad range of professionals working in the field of prison and correctional services on core components of effective rehabilitation and reintegration programming