Accessing Canadian Healthcare for Immigrants: Empowerment, Voice, & Enablement (ACHIEVE)
With rigorous screening, newcomers entering Canada are known to be in better health than the average Canadian; however this declines after years of living in the country. Navigating the Canadian healthcare system (CHC) has proven to be a monumental obstacle course for immigrants nationwide due to barriers such as cultural differences, unawareness of options, and lack of confidence. Education on the CHC increases immigrants’ understanding, self-advocacy skills, and confidence in accessing services. Because this knowledge is important to immigrants’ health and well-being, a team of occupational therapists has created ACHIEVE (Accessing Canadian Healthcare for Immigrants: Empowerment, Voice, & Enablement). With engaging modules, this program educates and empowers immigrants to have equitable access to health services. This study aimed to pilot test the ACHIEVE program to address barriers that immigrants face in accessing healthcare services in Ontario.
