BMC Research Notes
Volume 5, 2012

Health care for irregular migrants: Pragmatism across Europe. A qualitative study (Article) (Open Access)

Dauvrin M.* , Lorant V. , Sandhu S. , Devillé W. , Dia H. , Dias S. , Gaddini A. , Ioannidis E. , Jensen N.K. , Kluge U. , Mertaniemi R. , Puigpinás I Riera R. , Sárváry A. , Straßmayr C. , Stankunas M. , Soares J.J.F. , Welbel M. , Priebe S.
  • a 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 B1.30.15, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
  • b Institute of Health and Society IRSS, Université Catholique de Louvain, Clos Chapelle aux Champs 30 B1.30.15, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium
  • c Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, London and the Barts School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E13 8SP, United Kingdom
  • d International and Migrant Health, NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), Otterstraat 118-124, 3500, BN Utrecht, Netherlands
  • e Etablissement Public de Santé Maison Blanche, 3-5 rue Lespagnol, 75020 Paris, France
  • f Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 96, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal
  • g Laziosanit ASP Public Health Agency for the Lazio Region, Via S. Costanza 53, 00185 Rome, Italy
  • h Department of Sociology, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras avenue, Athens 11521, Greece
  • i Department of Public Health, Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU), University of Copenhagen, Oster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1014 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • j Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
  • k Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), P.O.B. 30, FIN-00271 Helsinki, Finland
  • l Agency of Public Health of Barcelona, Pça. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
  • m Faculty of Health, University of Debrecen, Sástái út 2-4, 4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary
  • n Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry, Lazarettgasse 14A-912, 1090 Vienna, Austria
  • o School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia, Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus 9, Kaunas 44307, Lithuania
  • p Department of Public Health Sciences, Section of Social Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE- 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Public Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
  • q Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Ul. Sobieskiego 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
  • r Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, London and the Barts School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E13 8SP, United Kingdom

Abstract

Abstract. Background: Health services in Europe face the challenge of delivering care to a heterogeneous group of irregular migrants (IM). There is little empirical evidence on how health professionals cope with this challenge. This study explores the experiences of health professionals providing care to IM in three types of health care service across 16 European countries. Results: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health professionals in 144 primary care services, 48 mental health services, and 48 Accident & Emergency departments (total n = 240). Although legal health care entitlement for IM varies across countries, health professionals reported facing similar issues when caring for IM. These issues include access problems, limited communication, and associated legal complications. Differences in the experiences with IM across the three types of services were also explored. Respondents from Accident & Emergency departments reported less of a difference between the care for IM patients and patients in a regular situation than did respondents from primary care and mental health services. Primary care services and mental health services were more concerned with language barriers than Accident & Emergency departments. Notifying the authorities was an uncommon practice, even in countries where health professionals are required to do this. Conclusions: The needs of IM patients and the values of the staff appear to be as important as the national legal framework, with staff in different European countries adopting a similar pragmatic approach to delivering health care to IM. While legislation might help to improve health care for IM, more appropriate organisation and local flexibility are equally important, especially for improving access and care pathways. © 2012 Dauvrin et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

Europe Qualitative method Health services Irregular migrants Accessibility

Index Keywords

Health Personnel mental health service psychological aspect Communication Europe health care personnel interpersonal communication human ethics Mental Health Services health personnel attitude Attitude of Health Personnel Humans Article organization and management adult migration legal aspect emergency health service Emergency Service, Hospital Transients and Migrants primary health care
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84859195996&doi=10.1186%2f1756-0500-5-99&partnerID=40&md5=92be76de3b0cd5f71c8f86f4acb04364
DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-99
ISSN: 17560500
Cited by: 40
Original Language: English