Healthcare System Navigation and Migrants in Ontario, Canada: Learnings from Knowledge Translation Workshops

Introduction:
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Government of Canada launched the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, allowing thousands of Ukrainian temporary migrants to enter the country. Many of these migrants, now residing in Ontario, face a variety of acute, chronic, and complex health issues, which has increased the demand on the province's healthcare system. Despite the growing recognition of difficulties in accessing healthcare, little is known about how Ukrainian temporary migrants navigate and use the Ontario healthcare system.

Goals and Methods: The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of Ukrainian temporary migrants as they interact with the Ontario healthcare system. Additionally, it aimed to assess the effectiveness of a knowledge translation (KTr) workshop designed to help these migrants develop the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the healthcare system more effectively. A KTr workshop was conducted with ten Ukrainian temporary migrants who had temporarily settled in Toronto, Canada. The workshop focused on the dissemination of healthcare navigation strategies, but also on collecting data from participants about their experiences with such navigation using semi-structured questions. Collected data was analyzed using both inductive and deductive thematic analysis to identify key themes related to their experiences.

Results:
Four major themes emerged from the analysis: 1) concerns over healthcare accessibility and long wait times, 2) difficulties in navigating the complex Ontario healthcare system, 3) the use of transnational health practices by migrants to manage their health needs, and 4) a strong desire for greater involvement in their care planning.

Conclusions:
This study underscores the challenges Ukrainian temporary migrants face in accessing healthcare services and highlights the need for healthcare providers to find more equitable and accessible solutions. Addressing these barriers is crucial for improving the healthcare experiences and outcomes of temporary migrants in Ontario.