A cross-sectional study using 'sensemaking' platform (Sprockler) to understand policy and funding changes to the IFHP (2026-2028)
The purpose of this study is to understand the impact on access to care of the policy and funding changes to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) on refugees and asylum seekers who relied on the IFHP for healthcare costs at any time after May 2026 when these policy changes came into place.
The working hypothesis is that the introduction of a co-pay in the IFHP will result in:
(1) decreased access to health care across multiple domains, including but not limited to dental care, eye care, rehabilitation, access to medication for chronic or acute conditions, and access to essential medical aids such as wheelchairs, prosthetics, feeding equipment;
(2) increased (and possibly inappropriate) use of emergency medical services since these will continue to be accessible free of charge;
(3) increased challenges with integration as more resources (emotional energy, system navigation, financial resources) are redirected toward meeting basic healthcare needs; and
(4) increased negative health consequences for the most vulnerable migrants, including children and refugees living with chronic illnesses or disabilities.
The findings of this study will be used to provide policy recommendations to IRCC and IFHP going forward. IRCC and IFHP staff continue to be in conversation with healthcare providers across the country, and have indicated a desire to understand the impact of these program changes in order to minimize negative effects on access to care for particularly vulnerable groups.
The project will conduct a cross-sectional study using "Sensemaking". Sensemaking is based on the idea that storytelling is a natural way to convey complex information and is used by individuals to make sense of their experinces. Using a sensemaking platform (Sprockler software - an innovative mixed qualitative/quantitative research tool), participants audio-record a story in response to an open-ended prompt, and then interpret their own experiences by plotting their perspectives using pre-defined questions. Stories can be audio recorded in the participants' language of choice, and pre-defined questions will be made available to participants in English, French, Arabic, Dari, Somali, Swahili, and Spanish. Participants can audio-record their story in any language, if they have support to complete the survey questions in one of these seven languages.
This project is a multicenter project leveraging networks of refugee care providers (and their respective settlement partners) across the country. To date we have commitments from partners in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Alberta. Additional partners from other provinces will be recruited through the Canadian Physicians for Refugee Care network. Each partner will collaborate with their local settlement agencies for participant recruitment.
Funded by: 