Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Refugees’ experiences of healthcare in the host country: a scoping review

Authors: Elisabeth Mangrio, Katarina Sjögren Forss

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

During the last years, Europe experienced an increase in immigration due to a variety of worldwide wars and conflicts, which in turn resulted in a greater number of physical and mental health issues present among the refugees. These factors place high demands not only on the refugees, but also on healthcare professionals who meet the refugees in different situations. Information about the refugees’ experiences of the healthcare systems in their host countries is urgently needed to improve the quality of healthcare delivered, as well as to provide opportunities for better access. The aim of this scoping review is to compile research about the experiences that the refugees have with the healthcare systems in their host countries.

Methods

This study was conducted as a scoping review and the methodology is derived from Levac et al. and with inspiration from the framework of Arksey & O’Malley. A systematic article search was done in Medline, Cinahl and Psychinfo. A total of 619 articles were found in the search and finally 26 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included.

Results

The results show that communication between healthcare professionals and refugees is important, however, insufficient language knowledge acts as an effective communication barrier. There is a need for more information to be given to the refugees about the reception country’s healthcare system in both oral and written formats, as well as the right to healthcare. Support from healthcare professionals is also important for refugees to have a positive experience with healthcare. In some of the studies included, refugees experienced discrimination due to low proficiency in the language of the host country, and/or because of their race or accent, which shows that culturally appropriate healthcare is needed for them.

Conclusions

Since refugees are suffering from poor mental and physical health and could therefore be at a greater risk of morbidity and mortality in comparison to the rest of the population of the host country, there is an urgent need for improvements in communication, interpretation, support, and deliverance of culturally appropriate healthcare.
Literature
1.
Campbell RM, Klei A, Hodges BD, Fisman D, Kitto S. A comparison of health access between permanent residents, undocumented immigrants and refugee claimants in Toronto, Canada. J Immigr Minor Health. 2014;16(1):165–76.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Anderson LM, Scrimshaw SC, Fullilove MT, Fielding JE, Normand J, Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Culturally competent healthcare systems: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2003;24(3 Suppl):68–79.CrossRefPubMed
3.
WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization. Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health: commission on social determinants of health final report: World Health Organization; 2008.
4.
Newbold KB. Self-rated health within the Canadian immigrant population: risk and the healthy immigrant effect. Soc Sci Med. 2005;60(6):1359–70.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Björngren Cuadra C, Carlzén K. Inledning MILSA. In: Anonymous Malmö Institute for Studies of migration, diversity and welfare (MIM), Malmö University; 2015.
6.
Kirmayer LJ, Narasiah L, Munoz M, Rashid M, Ryder AG, Guzder J, Hassan G, Rousseau C, Pottie K. Canadian collaboration for immigrant and refugee health (CCIRH). Common mental health problems in immigrants and refugees: general approach in primary care. CMAJ. 2011; 10.​1503/​cmaj.​090292 [doi].​.
7.
Porter M, Haslam N. Predisplacement and postdisplacement factors associated with mental health of refugees and internally displaced persons: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2005;294(5):602–12.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Salman KF, Resick LK. The description of health among Iraqi refugee women in the United States. J Immigr Minor Health. 2015;17(4):1199–205.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Taylor EM, Yanni EA, Pezzi C, Guterbock M, Rothney E, Harton E, Montour J, Elias C, Burke H. Physical and mental health status of Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States. J Immigr Minor Health. 2014;16(6):1130–7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Shawyer F, Enticott JC, Block AA, Cheng I, Meadows GN. The mental health status of refugees and asylum seekers attending a refugee health clinic including comparisons with a matched sample of Australian-born residents. BMC Psychiatry. 2017;17(1):76.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
11.
Feldman R. Primary health care for refugees and asylum seekers: a review of the literature and a framework for services. Public Health. 2006;120(9):809–16.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Hadgkiss EJ, Renzaho AM. The physical health status, service utilisation and barriers to accessing care for asylum seekers residing in the community: a systematic review of the literature. Aust Health Rev. 2014;38(2):142–59.PubMed
13.
McKeary M, Newbold B. Barriers to care: the challenges for Canadian refugees and their health care providers. J Refug Stud. 2010;23(4):523–45.CrossRef
14.
Merry LA, Gagnon AJ, Kalim N, Bouris SS. Refugee claimant women and barriers to health and social services post-birth. Can J Public Health. 2011;102(4):286–90.PubMed
15.
Sofaer S, Firminger K. Patient perceptions of the quality of health services. Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:513–59.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Gerritsen AA, Bramsen I, Devillé W, Van Willigen LH, Hovens JE, Van Der Ploeg HM. Physical and mental health of afghan, Iranian and Somali asylum seekers and refugees living in the Netherlands. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2006;41(1):18–26.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Mackenbach JP, Kulhanova I, Menvielle G, Bopp M, Borrell C, Costa G, Deboosere P, Esnaola S, Kalediene R, Kovacs K, Leinsalu M, Martikainen P, Regidor E, Rodriguez-Sanz M, Strand BH, Hoffmann R, Eikemo TA, Ostergren O, Lundberg O, Eurothine and EURO-GBD-SE consortiums. Trends in inequalities in premature mortality: a study of 3.2 million deaths in 13 European countries. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2015; 10.​1136/​jech-2014-204319 [doi].​.
18.
Bradby H, Humphris R, Newall D, Phillimore J. Public health aspects of migrant health: a review of the evidence on health status for refugees and asylum seekers in the European region. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2015.
19.
Fazel M, Wheeler J, Danesh J. Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review. Lancet. 2005;365(9467):1309–14.CrossRefPubMed
20.
21.
22.
Arksey H, O’Malley L. Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2005;8:19–32.CrossRef
23.
Ahmed A, Stewart DE, Teng L, Wahoush O, Gagnon AJ. Experiences of immigrant new mothers with symptoms of depression. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2008;11(4):295–303.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Herrel N, Olevitch L, DuBois DK, Terry P, Thorp D, Kind E, Said A. Somali refugee women speak out about their needs for care during pregnancy and delivery. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2004;49(4):345–9.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Chen YB, Li AT, Fung KP, Wong JP. Improving access to mental health services for racialized immigrants, refugees, and non-status people living with HIV/AIDS. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2015;26(2):505–18.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Shannon P, O'Dougherty M, Mehta E. Refugees’ perspectives on barriers to communication about trauma histories in primary care. Ment Health Fam Med. 2012;9(1):47–55.PubMedPubMedCentral
27.
Wångdahl J, Lytsy P, Mårtensson L, Westerling R. Health literacy and refugees’ experiences of the health examination for asylum seekers–a Swedish cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:1162.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Asgary R, Segar N. Barriers to health care access among refugee asylum seekers. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2011;22(2):506–22.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Razavi MF, Falk L, Björn Å, Wilhelmsson S. Experiences of the Swedish healthcare system: an interview study with refugees in need of long-term health care. Scand J Soc Med. 2011;39(3):319–25.
30.
Murray L, Windsor C, Parker E, Tewfik O. The experiences of African women giving birth in Brisbane, Australia. Health Care Women Int. 2010;31(5):458–72.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Donnelly TT, Hwang JJ, Este D, Ewashen C, Adair C, Clinton M. If I was going to kill myself, I wouldn't be calling you. I am asking for help: challenges influencing immigrant and refugee women’s mental health. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2011;32(5):279–90.CrossRefPubMed
32.
O'Donnell CA, Higgins M, Chauhan R, Mullen K. “They think we’re OK and we know we’re not”. A qualitative study of asylum seekers’ access, knowledge and views to health care in the UK. BMC Health Serv Res. 2007;7:75.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
33.
Owens C, Dandy J, Hancock P. Perceptions of pregnancy experiences when using a community-based antenatal service: a qualitative study of refugee and migrant women in Perth, Western Australia. Women and birth. 2016;29(2):128–37.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Redman E, Reay H, Jones L, Roberts R. Self-reported health problems of asylum seekers and their understanding of the national health service: a pilot study. Public Health. 2011;125(3):142–4.CrossRefPubMed
35.
36.
Cheng I, Vasi S, Wahidi S, Russell G. Rites of passage: improving refugee access to general practice services. Aust Fam Physician. 2015;44(7):503–7.PubMed
37.
Fang ML, Sixsmith J, Lawthom R, Mountian I, Shahrin A. Experiencing ‘pathologized presence and normalized absence’; understanding health related experiences and access to health care among Iraqi and Somali asylum seekers, refugees and persons without legal status. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:923.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
38.
Lipson JG, Weinstein HM, Gladstone EA, Sarnoff RH. Bosnian and soviet refugees’ experiences with health care. West J Nurs Res. 2003;25(7):854–71.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Omeri A, Lennings C, Raymond L. Beyond asylum: implications for nursing and health care delivery for Afghan refugees in Australia. J Transcult Nurs. 2006;17(1):30–9.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Panagiota I. Refugee women in Greece: a qualitative study of their attitudes and experience in antenatal care. Health Sci J. 2008;2:173–80.
41.
Lephard E, Haith-Cooper M. Pregnant and seeking asylum: exploring women’s experiences’ from booking to baby’. British J Midwifery. 2016;24(2):130–6.CrossRef
42.
Neale A, Abu-Duhou J, Black J, Biggs B. Health services: knowledge, use and satisfaction of afghan, Iranian and Iraqi settlers in Australia. Diversity in Health & Social Care. 2007;4:267–76.
43.
Feldmann CT, Bensing JM, De Ruijter A, Boeije HR. Afghan refugees and their general practitioners in The Netherlands: to trust or not to trust? Sociol Health Illn. 2007;29(4):515–35.CrossRefPubMed
44.
45.
Heydari A, Amiri R, Nayeri ND, Abo Ali V. Afghan refugees’ experience of Iran’s health service delivery. Int J Hum Rights Healthcare. 2016;9(2):75–85.CrossRef
46.
Searight HR. Bosnian immigrants’ perceptions of the United States health care system: a qualitative interview study. J Immigr Health. 2003;5(2):87–93.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Spike EA, Smith MM, Harris MF. Access to primary health care services by community-based asylum seekers. Med J Aust. 2011;195(4):188–91.PubMed
48.
Valibhoy MC, Kaplan I, Szwarc J. “It comes down to just how human someone can be”: a qualitative study with young people from refugee backgrounds about their experiences of Australian mental health services. Transcult Psychiatry. 2017; 10.​1177/​1363461516662810​ [doi].​.
49.
Kreps GL, Sparks L. Meeting the health literacy needs of immigrant populations. Patient Educ Couns. 2008;71(3):328–32.CrossRefPubMed
50.
Ngo-Metzger Q, Sorkin DH, Phillips RS, Greenfield S, Massagli MP, Clarridge B, Kaplan SH. Providing high-quality care for limited English proficient patients: the importance of language concordance and interpreter use. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22:324–30.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
51.
52.
Cameron M, Andersson N, McDowell I, Ledogar RJ. Culturally safe epidemiology: oxymoron or scientific imperative. Pimatisiwin. 2010;8(2):89–116.PubMedPubMedCentral
53.
Pavlish CL, Noor S, Brandt J. Somali immigrant women and the American health care system: discordant beliefs, divergent expectations, and silent worries. Soc Sci Med. 2010;71(2):353–61.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
54.
Eckstein B. Primary care for refugees. Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(4):429–36.PubMed
55.
Harris M, Zwar N. Refugee health. Aust Fam Physician. 2005;34(10):825–9.PubMed
56.
Metadata
Title
Refugees’ experiences of healthcare in the host country: a scoping review
Authors
Elisabeth Mangrio
Katarina Sjögren Forss
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2731-0

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

BMC Health Services Research 1/2017 Go to the issue

Research article

A qualitative analysis of the effectiveness of telehealthcare devices (i) are they meeting the needs of end-users?

Research article

Evaluation of an aged care nurse practitioner service: quality of care within a residential aged care facility hospital avoidance service

Research article

Relationships between structure, process and outcome to assess quality of integrated chronic disease management in a rural South African setting: applying a structural equation model

Research article

Promoting early presentation of breast cancer in older women: sustained effect of an intervention to promote breast cancer awareness in routine clinical practice

Research article

Few opportunities to influence decisions regarding the care and treatment of an older hospitalized family member: a qualitative study among family members

Research article

The impact of a social prescribing service on patients in primary care: a mixed methods evaluation