Canadian Journal of Public Health
Volume 110, Issue 4, 2019, Pages 453-461

Oral healthcare experiences of humanitarian migrants in Montreal, Canada (Article)

Keboa M.T.* , Hovey R. , Nicolau B. , Esfandiari S. , Carnevale F. , Macdonald M.E.
  • a Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, #500-2001 McGill College, Montréal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
  • b Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, #500-2001 McGill College, Montréal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
  • c Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, #500-2001 McGill College, Montréal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
  • d Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
  • e Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
  • f Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, #500-2001 McGill College, Montréal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada

Abstract

Objective: To understand the oral healthcare experiences of humanitarian migrants in Montreal and their perceptions of ways to improve access to oral healthcare. Methods: We used focused ethnography informed by a public health model of the dental care process. The adapted McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI) guided interviews of a purposeful sample of humanitarian migrants who received or needed dental care in Montreal. Each interview (50–60 min) was audio-recorded for verbatim transcription. Observation of dental care episodes occurred during mobile dental clinics in underserved communities over the same period (2015–2016). Data analysis combined deductive codes from the theoretical frameworks and inductive codes from interview transcripts and field notes to inform themes. Results: We interviewed 25 participants (13 refugees and 12 asylum seekers) from 10 countries, who had been in Canada for a range of 1 month to 5 years. The dental care experiences of participants included delayed consultation, proximity to dental clinics, quality care, limited treatment choices, high cost, and long waiting times. A more inclusive healthcare policy, lower fees, integration of dental care into public insurance, and creation of community dental clinics were proposed strategies to improve access to dental care. Conclusion: Humanitarian migrants in this study experienced inadequate oral healthcare. Their lived experiences help us to identify gaps in the provision of oral healthcare services, and suggestions of participants have great potential to improve access to oral healthcare. © 2019, The Canadian Public Health Association.

Author Keywords

Canada Oral healthcare experience Humanitarian migrants

Index Keywords

personal experience narrative health care policy insurance human dental procedure interview asylum seeker conceptual framework consultation male Canada female ethnography clinical article Article genetic transcription adult human experiment data analysis public health dental clinic
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85068892297&doi=10.17269%2fs41997-019-00193-5&partnerID=40&md5=54d83ce1860ccde7ecfea9c32948715c
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-019-00193-5
ISSN: 00084263
Original Language: English