Objectives Forcibly displaced populations face persistent barriers to accessing equitable healthcare, yet qualitative evidence on how policy and health system factors shape these experiences remains fragmented, particularly across underrepresented domains. Design This scoping review synthesised qualitative and mixed-methods evidence on healthcare experiences among refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons. Data sources PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for studies published between January 2010 and April 2025, alongside grey literature from Google Scholar and institutional repositories. Eligibility criteria Eligible studies reported primary qualitative data across four domains: mental health, disability inclusion, women’s health and palliative and end-of-life care. Data extraction and synthesis Data were charted using a structured framework and synthesised thematically, guided by the Policy Triangle Framework developed by Walt and Gilson, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and Proctor’s implementation outcomes taxonomy. Results Of 2522 records identified, 42 studies met inclusion criteria. Across settings, participants reported restrictive entitlement policies, documentation barriers, limited interpreter services and fragmented referral systems. Weak coordination between humanitarian and national systems and limited participation in governance constrained access. These factors resulted in delayed care, unmet needs, communication challenges and exclusion from decision-making. Findings clustered into six domains: entitlement frameworks, service integration, community-based and home-based care, workforce governance, participatory mechanisms and system alignment. Disability inclusion and palliative care were underrepresented in low- and middle-income settings. Conclusions Inequities in healthcare experiences among displaced populations are shaped by policy design, governance structures and implementation processes. Strengthening entitlement coherence, service integration and participatory governance is critical to improving equity and responsiveness across underrepresented domains.
Sasie et al. (Wed,) studied this question.