Zeitschrift fur Allgemeinmedizin
Volume 93, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 24-31

Refugees' consultation issues compared with routine data from primary care [Beratungsanlässe bei Asylsuchenden im Vergleich mit Routinedaten aus der primärärztlichen Versorgung] (Article)

Buhlinger-Göpfarth N.* , Koehler M. , Laux G. , Szecsenyi J. , Bozorgmehr K.
  • a Abteilung für Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universität Heidelberg, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
  • b Abteilung für Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universität Heidelberg, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
  • c Abteilung für Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universität Heidelberg, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
  • d Abteilung für Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universität Heidelberg, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
  • e Abteilung für Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universität Heidelberg, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany

Abstract

Background: In 2015, more than one million refugees reached Germany. In order to ensure that adequate health care for refugees can be provided, a detailed description of their medical needs is necessary. In the context of this study, we compared refugees' reasons for seeking medical advice with those of the general population. Methods: For this cross-sectional study two data sources have been used. The CONTENT database of the University of Heidelberg provides routine data from 44 family practitioners covering a total of 207.253 patients. This data has been compared to the results from the Bremen Model for the healthcare for asylum seekers. In this program, 2.341 refugees have been treated. Results: In both data sources, the most prominent findings are respiratory diseases: J00-J99, diseases of the muscle und skeletal system: M00-M99, diagnosis chapters R00-R99: symptoms and abnormal findings, and Z00-Z99: health-influencing factors and general examinations. These listed ICD-groups are among the four most common ICD-groups in both data sources respectively. The second and third most common diagnosis chapters, namely J00-J99 and Z00-Z99, coincide in both data sources. Conclusions: The results indicate that the majority of the consultation issues of refugees constitute ordinary matters of primary care. Whether psychological diseases and behavioral disorders often go unregistered, or whether they in fact do not occur more frequently with refugees could not be clarified definitively by this study. The results encourage further studies to anticipate the requirements planning for the medical treatment of refugees. © Deutscher Ärzteverlag.

Author Keywords

Refugees Family medicine Mental illness Primary care consultation issues

Index Keywords

patient care controlled study health program major clinical study health care need respiratory tract disease refugee population research Article human cross-sectional study consultation
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85019429450&doi=10.3238%2fzfa.2017.0024-0031&partnerID=40&md5=3eb8dfb4b059ac9d2a3cb73ab259d167
DOI: 10.3238/zfa.2017.0024-0031
ISSN: 09376801
Cited by: 2
Original Language: German