Scoping review of intercultural mediators in primary health care: improving culturally sensitive care for migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking communities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5712/rbmfc21(48)4759Keywords:
Cultural competency, Primary health care, Refugees, Transients and migrantsAbstract
Introduction: The role of intercultural mediators has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance access to culturally sensitive healthcare for migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking populations. Objective: To identify the role of intercultural mediators in primary health care settings, with an emphasis on their contribution to reducing barriers to care and promoting social and healthcare inclusion. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the methodological guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer’s Manual and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses — Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A bibliographic search was conducted across eight academic databases, supplemented by a Google Scholar search. Studies published in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish with no date restrictions were considered eligible, provided they addressed the role of intercultural mediators in facilitating access to primary health care for migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking populations. Results: Four qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria, exploring the experiences and practices of these professionals in different health system contexts. The findings indicate that intercultural mediators perform a wide range of tasks aimed at overcoming linguistic, cultural, and institutional barriers between service users, healthcare professionals, and the healthcare system. Core activities include interpretation, cultural translation, conflict mediation, trust-building, and support in navigating healthcare services. Conclusions: The results suggest that the integration of intercultural mediators into primary health care is a promising strategy for promoting equitable, accessible, and culturally appropriate care, particularly for populations experiencing increased vulnerability
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Copyright (c) 2026 Liza Yurie Teruya Uchimura, Jeane Roza Quintans, Mabel Fernandes Figueiró, Tatiana Yonekura, Julianna Godinho Dale Coutinho, Sabrina Rodrigues da Silva Nascimento, Lilian Silva Gonçalves
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