12. Advanced Clinical Reasoning

Advanced clinical reasoning is the process by which healthcare professionals from different disciplines collaborate to understand and address the complex needs of patients. When working with persons with refugee experience, this process becomes particularly important as they may have unique healthcare needs and face challenges such as language barriers and cultural differences. Their potentially complex healthcare needs may require the expertise and input of multiple professionals. Interprofessional advanced clinical reasoning involves the ability to think critically and creatively and to consider the potential long-term impact of different treatment options. The healthcare needs of persons with refugee experience may be more complex and may necessitate longer-term solutions.

When you, as a healthcare professional, first speak with your patient, depending on your work setting, you often know only the diagnosis from the doctor´s referral. This chapter will guide you on how to take more aspects into consideration. You will learn to describe the current components of your patient´s health using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Finally, you will take into account narratives of the past and different forms of clinical reasoning. The authentic voices of those who have experienced displacement will stimulate your reflection and enhance your understanding of their extraordinary life situations.

As essential background information for professionals working with people who have experienced forced migration, it is helpful to first learn about the health risks that are prevalent in the different countries of origin of people who have experienced forced migration. Read the report by Navarese and others (2022) on the impact of war on a country's ability to provide health services to its citizens. For people working in the health system who have not experienced war and forced displacement, it is often impossible to imagine the serious consequences of a lack of medical services and medication. It is therefore important to bear in mind the major medical and psychological consequences for the individual.