Collecting data on migrants’ health status and access to health services: the experience of the mobile app “ComeStai”

Despite the process of migrant settlement in Italy, there is still a lack of data on migrant health and access to health services. We have developed the mobile app “ComeStai” to collect new data on this population. ComeStai collects new and original information on migrants' self-assessed health status and access to health care through short surveys. The main questionnaire includes questions about the respondent's immigrant status, health status and health habits, access to and use of health care, and socio-demographic characteristics. Every month, the app displays a follow-up survey to track key variables over time, including respondents' health status and experiences of barriers to accessing health care. After submitting the answers to the main questionnaire, the user can access an in-app platform that provides an overview of the Italian public health system and regulations, a brief description of the main public health services, and a list of NGOs providing health services or support in the Metropolitan area of Milan, as well as their location on a map. Our study aims to test the efficacy of a mobile application as a data collection tool. We present the fieldwork and discuss the advantages and challenges of such a tool. Our evaluation considers the sample size achieved, the heterogeneity and representativeness of the sample to the real population. Based on the results, we will evaluate whether to extend the research to a larger geographical scale.