Expectations Vs Lived Experience: Health Care Barriers and Social Determinants of Health in Canada and Turkey

Health care experiences of refugees are shaped by a complex interplay of access barriers and social determinants of health.Existing research suggests refugees face health care access challenges due to language proficiency, health literacy, cultural differences and bureaucratic procedures. Social determinants such as education, precarious employment, health literacy, inadequate housing and lack of social support networks also shape refugees' health experiences in host countries. Targeted interventions and policies aim to address these challenges. The study will examine the transformation in healthcare policies affecting refugee experiences in Canada and Turkey since 2015, and will analyze the experience of quality of care and overall health outcomes for refugees. It seeks answers to the following questions: How have the policy changes impacted the refugee experience of healthcare services, and why? In what ways and to what extent social determinants of health influence the impact of these policies? How does country of origin, gender, age, healthcare need matter while experiencing healthcare services, and why? The research will employ a qualitative method by collecting and analyzing reports by states, international organizations and NGOs, scholarly literature and social media posts of refugee health focused groups and interview three refugee community leaders mobilized around health in both countries. The research will use thematic analysis to identify key topics and patterns which will be coded into policy changes, barriers to access and social determinants of health. The study will use symbolic interactionism to examine the lived refugee experiences accounting for social determinants of health in a context of health policy transformation. The research will conclude with suggestions for accurately addressing health needs of refugee populations.