Migrants' access to healthcare

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Migrants' health is crucial for societal integration and upholding human rights.
• Receiving societies have pragmatic and moral imperatives to ensure healthcare access for migrants.
• Understanding disparities in healthcare access for migrant populations is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine differences in healthcare access between migrants and non-migrants.
• To investigate the reasons behind potential disparities in healthcare access for migrants.
• To analyze healthcare utilization and clinical outcomes among diverse migrant groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized register-based retrospective cohort, cross-sectional, and survey designs.
• Measured healthcare access via cancer stage at diagnosis and emergency room (ER) contacts.
• Examined informal (communication) and formal (entitlements, screening) barriers.

Main Results:

• Migrant women showed a tendency towards more advanced cancer diagnosis stages.
• Some migrant groups exhibited higher ER utilization, often for non-urgent reasons.
• Communication problems with primary care and limited healthcare entitlements for asylum seekers were identified.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences in healthcare access, utilization, and clinical outcomes exist between migrants and non-migrants.
• Disparities are linked to primary care communication issues and policy-level barriers.
• A multifaceted approach and diverse methodologies are vital for understanding migrant healthcare access.