Page 103 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 103
Migrants’ Experiences in the Healthcare System
It is therefore important for service providers to treat the individual in an
holistic manner, ascertaining their expectations and perceived need. Such
care is at the heart of person-centeredness. Within a true person-centred ap-
proach, the individual’s cultural background is fundamental to effective care.
The Healthcare Experiences
This dimension comprises the constructs of healthcare needs as being ‘met’
or ‘unmet.’ Healthcare needs need to be satisfied in terms of emotional sup-
port or information. The overall positive or negative evaluation of a health-
care experience depends on whether a migrant patient feels their care and
information needs and expectations have been met or not. Migrant patients
use the familiar healthcare system of their home country as a template to
compare and evaluate the care they received in the host country. ‘I wouldn’t
go to the [British] NHS. My experience of medical care is good [in Spain] [. . .]
The biggest difference about Spain and England is that people care about
nursing and the people in England they are more worried about targets.’
(Legido-Quigley et al., 2012)
From the findings, a model has been designed using the five dimensions
and grounded in a person-centred care approach (Figure 1). This model is in
the form of a flow diagram that illustrates the antecedents and succedents
of the migrants’ healthcare experience. These include lack of linguistic abili-
ties, clashing cultures or social or cultural taboos that may inhibit them from
seeking healthcare and, when found, of making the best use of it. This model
may help healthcare providers to identify and address antecedents to poor
quality migrant healthcare, identify weak points, improve the organisation
and help healthcare professionals to provide person-centred care to migrant
patients.
The model points out that language difficulties and differences with mi-
grants’ experience in the home countries are important factors in all stages.
The comparison with migrants’ experience in the home countries implies
that the mere provision of linguistically congruent information might not
serve all migrants’ needs, as it is generally aimed at people who already un-
derstand the workings of a healthcare system. However, migrant patients
may lack this basic understanding. Information should therefore be adapted
to the different needs of ‘migrants’ (for example refugees and illegal im-
migrants). This would include providing a basic explanation of access to
and routes through the healthcare system. In addition, understanding of
the host cultures, how patients relate to healthcare professionals and which
behaviours are acceptable, or not, should be explained.
101
It is therefore important for service providers to treat the individual in an
holistic manner, ascertaining their expectations and perceived need. Such
care is at the heart of person-centeredness. Within a true person-centred ap-
proach, the individual’s cultural background is fundamental to effective care.
The Healthcare Experiences
This dimension comprises the constructs of healthcare needs as being ‘met’
or ‘unmet.’ Healthcare needs need to be satisfied in terms of emotional sup-
port or information. The overall positive or negative evaluation of a health-
care experience depends on whether a migrant patient feels their care and
information needs and expectations have been met or not. Migrant patients
use the familiar healthcare system of their home country as a template to
compare and evaluate the care they received in the host country. ‘I wouldn’t
go to the [British] NHS. My experience of medical care is good [in Spain] [. . .]
The biggest difference about Spain and England is that people care about
nursing and the people in England they are more worried about targets.’
(Legido-Quigley et al., 2012)
From the findings, a model has been designed using the five dimensions
and grounded in a person-centred care approach (Figure 1). This model is in
the form of a flow diagram that illustrates the antecedents and succedents
of the migrants’ healthcare experience. These include lack of linguistic abili-
ties, clashing cultures or social or cultural taboos that may inhibit them from
seeking healthcare and, when found, of making the best use of it. This model
may help healthcare providers to identify and address antecedents to poor
quality migrant healthcare, identify weak points, improve the organisation
and help healthcare professionals to provide person-centred care to migrant
patients.
The model points out that language difficulties and differences with mi-
grants’ experience in the home countries are important factors in all stages.
The comparison with migrants’ experience in the home countries implies
that the mere provision of linguistically congruent information might not
serve all migrants’ needs, as it is generally aimed at people who already un-
derstand the workings of a healthcare system. However, migrant patients
may lack this basic understanding. Information should therefore be adapted
to the different needs of ‘migrants’ (for example refugees and illegal im-
migrants). This would include providing a basic explanation of access to
and routes through the healthcare system. In addition, understanding of
the host cultures, how patients relate to healthcare professionals and which
behaviours are acceptable, or not, should be explained.
101
