Improving delivery of primary care for vulnerable migrants: Delphi consensus to prioritize innovative practice strategies.

OBJECTIVE To identify and prioritize innovative strategies to address the health concerns of vulnerable migrant populations. DESIGN Modified Delphi consensus process. SETTING Canada. PARTICIPANTS Forty-one primary care practitioners, including family physicians and nurse practitioners, who provided care for migrant populations. METHODS We used a modified Delphi consensus process to identify and prioritize innovative strategies that could potentially improve the delivery of primary health care for vulnerable migrants. Forty-one primary care practitioners from various centres across Canada who cared for migrant populations proposed strategies and participated in the consensus process. MAIN FINDINGS The response rate was 93% for the first round. The 3 most highly ranked practice strategies to address delivery challenges for migrants were language interpretation, comprehensive interdisciplinary care, and evidence-based guidelines. Training and mentorship for practitioners, intersectoral collaboration, and immigrant community engagement ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively, as strategies to address delivery challenges. These strategies aligned with strategies coming out of the United States, Europe, and Australia, with the exception of the proposed evidence-based guidelines. CONCLUSION Primary health care practices across Canada now need to evolve to address the challenges inherent in caring for vulnerable migrants. The selected strategies provide guidance for practices and health systems interested in improving health care delivery for migrant populations.