European Psychiatry
Volume 27, Issue SUPPL.2, 2012, Pages S56-S62

Health services and the treatment of immigrants: Data on service use, interpreting services and immigrant staff members in services across Europe (Article)

Kluge U.* , Bogic M. , Devillé W. , Greacen T. , Dauvrin M. , Dias S. , Gaddini A. , Koitzsch Jensen N. , Ioannidi-Kapolou E. , Mertaniemi R. , Puipcinós i Riera R. , Sandhu S. , Sarvary A. , Soares J.J.F. , Stankunas M. , Straßmayr C. , Welbel M. , Heinz A. , Priebe S.
  • a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
  • b Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, E13 8SP, United Kingdom
  • c International and Migrant Health, NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), Otterstraat 118-124, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, Netherlands, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute of Social Sciences Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • d Etablissement public de santé Maison Blanche, 18 rue Rémy de Gourmont, 75019 Paris, France
  • e Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS, rue d'Egmont 5, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium, Institute of Health and Society IRSS, Université catholique de Louvain, Clos Chapelle aux Champs 30.15., 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
  • f Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical and CMDT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 96, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal
  • g Laziosanità ASP, Public Health Agency for the Lazio Region, Via S. Costanza 53, 00198 Rome, Italy
  • h Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU), Unit of Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1014 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • i Department of Sociology, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras Avenue, Athens 11521, Greece
  • j National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, P.O.B. 30, FIN-00271 Helsinki, Finland
  • k Agency of Public Health of Barcelona, Pça. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
  • l Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, E13 8SP, United Kingdom
  • m Faculty of Health Sciences at Nyíregyháza, University of Debrecen, Sóstói út 31/B, 4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary
  • n Institution for health Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70, Sundsvall, Sweden
  • o Health Services Management Department, School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia, Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus g. 9, LT 44307, Kaunas, Lithuania
  • p Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry, Lazarettgasse 14A-912, 1090 Vienna, Austria
  • q Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Ul. Sobieskiego 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
  • r Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
  • s Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, E13 8SP, United Kingdom

Abstract

Background: The number of immigrants using health services has increased across Europe. For assessing and improving the quality of care provided for immigrants, information is required on how many immigrants use services, what interpreting services are provided and whether staff members are from immigrant groups. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with 15 health services (9 primary care, 3 emergency departments, 3 mental health) located in areas with high immigrant populations in each of 16 European countries (n = 240). Responses were collected on the availability of data on service use by immigrant patients, the provision of interpreting services and immigrant staff members. Results: Data on service use by immigrants were recorded by only 15% of services. More than 40% of services did not provide any form of interpreting service and 54% of the services reported having no immigrant staff. Mental health services were more likely to use direct interpreting services, and both mental health and emergency services were more likely to have immigrant staff members. Discussion: For assessing and improving the quality of care provided for immigrants, there is a need to improve the availability of data on service use by immigrants in health services throughout Europe and to provide more consistent access to interpreting services. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS.

Author Keywords

Service use immigrants Europe Staff diversity Interpreting service

Index Keywords

Health Personnel structured interview Emigrants and Immigrants human priority journal immigrant health service primary medical care mental health service emergency ward health services Health Services Needs and Demand Article medical staff Europe Health Services Accessibility Humans health care quality
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84864514352&doi=10.1016%2fS0924-9338%2812%2975709-7&partnerID=40&md5=0360d5de096ff5b37ca831c1baee9234
DOI: 10.1016/S0924-9338(12)75709-7
ISSN: 09249338
Cited by: 29
Original Language: English