The Use of a Telemedicine Model and its Logistics to Reach as Many European Refugees as Possible

Abstract

Current refugee crisis challenges mental health care systems all over the Europe. There is a number of research describing difficulties in dealing with cross-cultural patients. Access to relevant care as well as its availability are often limited due to: a) lack of respective qualified resources b) linguistically, cultural and even racial barriers in addressing of mental health care needs of cross-cultural patient population. By use of various e-Mental health applications, primarily videoconference, we may improve assessment and/or treatment of refugees and asylum seekers on distance e.g. Arabic speaking psychiatrist located in Sweden would be able to assess and/or treat refugees from Syria located in Germany). Specialized centers for treatment of refugees would also be able to get second-opinion service from remote experts and use it in order to confirm or re-consider diagnosis as well as the treatment options. Establishment of international network of cross-cultural experts enables to:

– Improve the mental health care across national boundaries by providing psychiatric consultations to other countries within EU

– Conduct International Treatment Team with Select Skills (e.g. Sign Language and Many Foreign Languages Staff)

– Provide Distance Supervision and Staff Consultation

– Provide Psycho Education of caregivers

– Improve Distance Learning via Case Conferencing and Best Practice Demonstration Across the National Boundaries

– Create Data Base over cross-cultural and other select skills professionals within EU

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.