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.
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a
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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b
Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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c
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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d
Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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e
Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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f
Liverpool Multicultural Health Service, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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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.
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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