BMC Public Health
Volume 11, 2011

Good practice in health care for migrants: Views and experiences of care professionals in 16 European countries (Article) (Open Access)

Priebe S.* , Sandhu S. , Dias S. , Gaddini A. , Greacen T. , Ioannidis E. , Kluge U. , Krasnik A. , Lamkaddem M. , Lorant V. , Riera R.P. , Sarvary A. , Soares J.J. , Stankunas M. , Straßmayr C. , Wahlbeck K. , Welbel M. , Bogic M.
  • a 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
  • b 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
  • c Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 96, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal
  • d Public Health Agency for the Lazio Region, Via S. Costanza 53, 00185 Rome, Italy
  • e Etablissement Public de Santé Maison Blanche, 3-5 rue Lespagnol, 75020 Paris, France
  • f Department of Sociology, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras avenue, Athens 11521, Greece
  • g Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
  • h Department of Public Health, Danish Research Centre for Migration Ethnicity and Health (MESU), University of Copenhagen, øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1014 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • i International and Migrant Health, NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), Otterstraat 118-124, 3500 BN Utrecht, Netherlands
  • j Institute of Health and Society, Catholic University of Louvain, Clos Chapelle aux Champs 30.05., 1200 Brussels, Belgium
  • k Agency of Public Health of Barcelona, Pça. Lesseps, 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
  • l Faculty of Health Sciences at Nyíregyhza, University of Debrecen, Sóstói út 31/B, 4400 Nyíregyhza, Hungary
  • m Department of Public Health Sciences, Section of Social Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE- 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
  • n Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviiaus g. 9, LT 44307, Kaunas, Lithuania
  • o Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry, Lazarettgasse 14A-912, 1090 Vienna, Austria
  • p National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, P.O.B. 30, FIN-00271 Helsinki, Finland
  • 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

Background: Health services across Europe provide health care for migrant patients every day. However, little systematic research has explored the views and experiences of health care professionals in different European countries. The aim of this study was to assess the difficulties professionals experience in their service when providing such care and what they consider constitutes good practice to overcome these problems or limit their negative impact on the quality of care. Methods. Structured interviews with open questions and case vignettes were conducted with health care professionals working in areas with high proportion of migrant populations in 16 countries. In each country, professionals in nine primary care practices, three accident and emergency hospital departments, and three community mental health services (total sample = 240) were interviewed about their views and experiences in providing care for migrant patients, i.e. from first generation immigrant populations. Answers were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: Eight types of problems and seven components of good practice were identified representing all statements in the interviews. The eight problems were: language barriers, difficulties in arranging care for migrants without health care coverage, social deprivation and traumatic experiences, lack of familiarity with the health care system, cultural differences, different understandings of illness and treatment, negative attitudes among staff and patients, and lack of access to medical history. The components of good practice to overcome these problems or limit their impact were: organisational flexibility with sufficient time and resources, good interpreting services, working with families and social services, cultural awareness of staff, educational programmes and information material for migrants, positive and stable relationships with staff, and clear guidelines on the care entitlements of different migrant groups. Problems and good care components were similar across the three types of services. Conclusions: Health care professionals in different services experience similar difficulties when providing care to migrants. They also have relatively consistent views on what constitutes good practice. The degree to which these components already are part of routine practice varies. Implementing good practice requires sufficient resources and organisational flexibility, positive attitudes, training for staff and the provision of information. © 2011 Priebe et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Communication Barriers mental health service medically uninsured Europe human communication disorder Professional-Patient Relations qualitative research human relation health personnel attitude Attitude of Health Personnel Humans Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics cultural factor Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Community Mental Health Services Article organization and management migration emergency health service health care quality Quality of Health Care Emergency Service, Hospital Cultural Characteristics Transients and Migrants patient attitude to health primary health care
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79953085974&doi=10.1186%2f1471-2458-11-187&partnerID=40&md5=e8f5bcd55d704049a07c007ee91190ea
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-187
ISSN: 14712458
Cited by: 122
Original Language: English