Sozial- und Praventivmedizin
Volume 43, Issue 1, 1998, Pages 29-38

Asylum seekers and refugees in the outpatient department (OPD): A comparison between the OPDs of Swiss main hospitals in Basel, Berne and Geneva [Asylsuschende und fluchtlinge in der medizineschen poliknik: Ein vergleich zwischen den polikliniken Basel, Bern und Genf] (Article)

Blöchliger C. , Ries N. , Gonon M. , Loutan L. , Mark K. , Vetterli S. , Tanner M. , Hatz C. , Junghanss T.
  • a Schweizerisches Tropeninstitut, Basel, Switzerland, Schweizerisches Tropeninstitut, Socinstr. 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
  • b Schweizerisches Tropeninstitut, Basel, Switzerland
  • c Medizinische Poliklinik, Kantonsspital, Basel, Switzerland
  • d Policlinique Med. Gen. Voyages M., Hôpital Cantonal, Genève, Switzerland
  • e Medizinische Poliklinik, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
  • f Policlinique Med. Gen. Voyages M., Hôpital Cantonal, Genève, Switzerland
  • g Schweizerisches Tropeninstitut, Basel, Switzerland
  • h Schweizerisches Tropeninstitut, Basel, Switzerland
  • i Schweizerisches Tropeninstitut, Basel, Switzerland, Abt. Tropenhygiene Offentliches G., Universität Heidelberg

Abstract

This cross-sectional study describes the state of health of asylum seekers and refugees and the health services provided to them by the medical outpatient departments of three major Swiss university hospitals, Basel, Berne and Geneva. The comparison of outpatient departments differing in organisational structure facilitated the identification of positive and negative determinants of health service provision. Questionnaires have been filled in by all physicians of the three medical outpatient departments (Basel: 10, Berne: 1, Geneva: 36). All consultations of asylum seekers and refugees have been recorded during the study period (Basel: 42, Berne: 93, Geneva: 187). Interviews have been done with the physicians who coordinated the study. During the study period the majority of the patients originated from former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Angola and Zaire. One of the most prominent features of the population investigated has been its diversity in respect to countries of origin, languages, ability to communicate and education. Diversity and low consultation rates per physician could explain many of the problems which have been observed, e.g. the lack of experience in specific approaches to these patients or difficulties to provide interpreters. To improve the health care for this group of patients in medical outpatient departments small teams of physicians should be selected. By these means adequate levels of experience could be achieved and organizational problems could be dealt with more effectively. In addition, the relationship between specific problems of asylum seekers and refugees and more general issues of the interaction between physicians and patients are discussed in view of tasks in research and training.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

urban population patient care refugee minority group human Refugees middle aged statistics health service controlled study comparative study Aged geographic distribution morbidity Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent Minority Groups male consultation female patient referral Referral and Consultation Ambulatory Care Facilities outpatient department Incidence Article health care organization adult Utilization Review Patient Care Team Switzerland Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0031601258&doi=10.1007%2fBF01299238&partnerID=40&md5=591fa724e8108fd487e7fd1f5a655a9d
DOI: 10.1007/BF01299238
ISSN: 03038408
Cited by: 6
Original Language: German