Refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK are cut off from reliable healthcare information by language barriers, digital exclusion, and a system that does not account for their experiences. This matters because these communities carry a higher burden of chronic and infectious diseases, shaped by trauma, displacement, and precarious living conditions. Yet the health system offers no tailored way for them to learn how to register with a GP, access mental health support, or navigate NHS services. The researchers will use pop-up community labs, visual storytelling workshops, and digital diary studies to document what information migrants actually need, how they prefer to receive it, and where the system fails them. If this succeeds, the findings will directly inform the co-design of a digital health information platform built with the NHS, UKHSA, and community organisations. That platform could become a permanent piece of public health infrastructure—quietly reducing missed diagnoses, easing pressure on emergency services, and making health equity a practical reality rather than a policy aspiration.
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Refugees and people seeking asylum have diverse physical and mental health needs, shaped by experiences in their country of origin, migration journey, host country policies, and living conditions.(1) These factors can increase their vulnerability to chronic and infectious diseases.(1) Patient and public involvement work has highlighted that vulnerable migrant communities often struggle to access reliable healthcare information due to digital literacy challenges, language barriers, and systemic obstacles. This study employs participatory methods—including pop-up community labs, visual storytelling, and digital diary studies—to explore migrants' health information needs, preferences, and barriers to healthcare access. Pop-up labs in trusted community spaces will facilitate interviews and engagement. Visual storytelling workshops will support co-creation of healthcare narratives, while a digital diary study will document real-world experiences. Meetings with key stakeholders will explore opportunities for sustainable design and implementation of a digital health resource in collaboration with trusted healthcare organisations. A final engagement event will ensure a feedback loop with migrant communities and policymakers. Findings will provide evidence for equitable, sustainable digital health interventions and inform NHS and public health strategies on migrant health equity. Insights will contribute to the development of accessible digital resources for diverse populations, ultimately supporting the formal co-design of a digital health information platform with NHS representatives, UKHSA, public health bodies, and community organisations.
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