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Contacts of general practitioners with illegal immigrants
S Reijneveld1, R Verheij, L van Herten
1TNO (Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research), Institute of Prevention and Health, Department of Public Health, Leiden. SA.Reijneveld@pg.tno.nl
Aims:
Violence and economic hardship cause many people to go to industrialized countries, often without obtaining a residence permit. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the factors that determine the occurrence of contacts in primary health care with such illegal immigrants.
Methods:
Data were analysed on contacts with illegal immigrants from a national survey among Dutch general practitioners (GPs) (n = 1,148; response: 62%).
Results:
GPs reported that they have on average 0.74 patient contacts with an illegal immigrant per week (95% CI: 0.56-0.92). This probably includes some over-reporting. Contacts are more likely in practices and communities that comprise more non-Dutch-born people and more (patients with) typically urban health problems. Working experience and demography of the GP are not independently associated with the occurrence of contacts.
Conclusions:
Contacts of Dutch GPs with illegal immigrants mostly occur in the deprived areas of the big cities.