Table 1.

Observations around challenges of initial health screening in a refugee population in a rural general practice

Questions	Observations from treating general practioner
Challenges to undertaking full health screen in Mildura, Victoria	• Cost of screening tests
	•Lack of information available from previous screening
	•Language barriers
	•Lack of understanding of the health system
	•Lack of trust of health professionals
	•Patient mobility
Prevalent mental health issues	•Anxiety
	•Depression
	•Post-traumatic stress disorder
Strengths of the refugee health program at the clinic	•GPs and reception staff of various ethnic backgrounds (e.g. Dari, Turkish, Persian, Tamil)
	•Bulk-billing of all patients
	•Extended opening hours (8am-8pm, 7 days/week)
	•Integrated mental health system in clinic
	•Access to refugee health and infectious diseases specialists
Other issues with refugee health related to a rural setting	•Anxiety due to family separation