Gesundheitswesen
Volume 81, Issue 2, 2019, Pages 120-127

The Impact of Immigrant Status on the Mode of Hospital Referral, Impression of Disease Severity and Length of Stay in Inpatient General Pediatric Care [Die Bedeutung des Migrationshintergrundes für Einweisungsmodus, Krankheitseindruck und Verweildauer in der stationären pädiatrischen Versorgung] (Article)

Ullrich S.* , Nesterko Y. , Briel D. , Hiemisch A. , Brähler E. , Glaesmer H.
  • a Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, Leipzig, 04103, Germany, Klinik und Poliklinik für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Leipzig, Germany
  • b Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
  • c Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
  • d Departement für Frauen und Kindermedizin, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Leipzig, Germany
  • e Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, Leipzig, 04103, Germany, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Germany
  • f Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR, Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 55, Leipzig, 04103, Germany

Abstract

Background National as well as international research often shows differences in health and health behavior between children and youth with and without migration background. It is also noted that there are differences in the use of health services depending on the migration background. Patients and Methods Data from 266 pediatric patients, regarding their hospitalization, general impression of health status and length of stay in a hospital, were analyzed depending on the migration background. Information on migration background and treatment-related data were obtained from the parents of the patient or from the hospital information system (SAP). 20.7% of patients (n=55) had a migration background. Results Migrants were hospitalized more often under a participation of the emergency room than non-migrants; also migrants showed a more severe illness picture. Regarding the number of diagnoses and length of stay as well as the distribution of the main diagnoses, no differences were found. Discussion Language barriers, culture-specific ideas about illness and insufficient knowledge of the German health care system were discussed as possible reasons to for the differences between migrants and non-migrants. Conclusion This study confirms already known differences in the use of health services by people with and without migration background. The results indicate worse health status in migrant patients compared to non-migrants by hospitalization. Future research with greater numbers of participants should specifically investigate on this point. © 2019 Georg Thieme. All Rights Reserved.

Author Keywords

disease impression Health care utilization Migration background Pediatrics Hospitalization

Index Keywords

Emigrants and Immigrants patient referral Germany hospital patient Referral and Consultation hospitalization length of stay Transients and Migrants Adolescent Inpatients human Humans migrant migration Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85027985913&doi=10.1055%2fs-0043-110853&partnerID=40&md5=3b2f1586484e8fa97a49b85763b91ff4
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-110853
ISSN: 09413790
Cited by: 1
Original Language: German