Medical Journal of Australia
Volume 195, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 74-76

Equity and access: Understanding emergency health service use by newly arrived refugees (Article)

Sheikh M.* , Nugus P.I. , Gao Z. , Holdgate A. , Short A.E. , Al Haboub A. , Raina MacIntyre C.
  • a School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • c School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • e Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • f Liverpool Multicultural Health Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • g School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Objectives: To determine issues that affect newly resettled refugees in accessing an emergency department (ED). Design, setting and participants: We conducted a descriptive community survey using a semistructured questionnaire. Newly resettled refugees from the Middle East and Africa were interviewed, statistical analysis was performed, and standard content analysis methods were applied to free-text responses. Main outcome measures: Emergency health-seeking behaviour, sociocultural barriers and beliefs about Australia's emergency health services. Results: Half the African refugees (53/106) (50%), compared with only 15/49 (31%) of the Middle Eastern refugees, preferred an ED service over other forms of care for an urgent medical condition (P = 0.024). Qualitative data revealed that most newly resettled refugees understand how to use the emergency health services. However, while most indicated that they were able to make a call for emergency medical help, a substantial number of our respondents revealed that they were afraid to make such a call for fear of security implications, on the basis of experiences from their home countries. Conclusion: Reasons for differences in preferences of health care access, and determining how best to educate the community on the use of ED services, warrant further investigation. From a policy perspective, the increasing health care needs of refugees need re-examination when planning health care provision to refugees. © The Medical Journal of Australia 2011.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

refugee Australia human Refugees Middle East health belief controlled study Health Services Needs and Demand interview Humans male female Socioeconomic Factors Africa qualitative analysis Article health care utilization help seeking behavior Questionnaires emergency health service health care access Emergency Service, Hospital Patient Acceptance of Health Care social class structured questionnaire health care delivery health survey

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79960588853&partnerID=40&md5=8e5f22fc5169094ce1af16e0fbef71c7

ISSN: 0025729X
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English