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Health services and the treatment of immigrants: data on service use, interpreting services and immigrant staff members in services across Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

U. Kluge*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117Berlin, Germany
M. Bogic
Affiliation:
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, E13 8SP, UK
W. Devillé
Affiliation:
International and Migrant Health, NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research), Otterstraat 118–124, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht & University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute of Social Sciences Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
T. Greacen
Affiliation:
Etablissement public de santé Maison Blanche, 18 rue Rémy de Gourmont, 75019Paris, France
M. Dauvrin
Affiliation:
Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS, rue d’Egmont 5, 1000Bruxelles, Belgium Institute of Health and Society IRSS, Université catholique de Louvain, Clos Chapelle aux Champs 30.15., 1200Bruxelles, Belgium
S. Dias
Affiliation:
Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical & CMDT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 96, 1349-008Lisbon, Portugal
A. Gaddini
Affiliation:
Laziosanità ASP - Public Health Agency for the Lazio Region, Via S. Costanza 53, 00198Rome, Italy
N. Koitzsch Jensen
Affiliation:
Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU), Unit of Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, DK-1014Copenhagen, Denmark
E. Ioannidi-Kapolou
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras Avenue, Athens 11521, Greece
R. Mertaniemi
Affiliation:
National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, P.O.B. 30, FIN-00271 Helsinki, Finland
R. Puipcinós i Riera
Affiliation:
Agency of Public Health of Barcelona, Pça. Lesseps, 1, 08023Barcelona, Spain
S. Sandhu
Affiliation:
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, E13 8SP, UK
A. Sarvary
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences at Nyíregyháza, University of Debrecen, Sóstói út 31/B, 4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary
J.J.F. Soares
Affiliation:
Institution for health Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70, Sundsvall, Sweden
M. Stankunas
Affiliation:
Health Services Management Department, School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland4222, Australia Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus g. 9, LT 44307, Kaunas, Lithuania
C. Straßmayr
Affiliation:
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry, Lazarettgasse 14A-912, 1090Vienna, Austria
M. Welbel
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Ul. Sobieskiego 9, 02-957Warsaw, Poland
A. Heinz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117Berlin, Germany
S. Priebe
Affiliation:
Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, E13 8SP, UK
*
*Corresponding Author. E-mail address:[email protected] (U. Kluge)
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Abstract

Background

The number of immigrants using health services has increased across Europe. For assessing and improving the quality of care provided for immigrants, information is required on how many immigrants use services, what interpreting services are provided and whether staff members are from immigrant groups.

Methods

Structured interviews were conducted with 15 health services (9 primary care, 3 emergency departments, 3 mental health) located in areas with high immigrant populations in each of 16 European countries (n = 240). Responses were collected on the availability of data on service use by immigrant patients, the provision of interpreting services and immigrant staff members.

Results

Data on service use by immigrants were recorded by only 15% of services. More than 40% of services did not provide any form of interpreting service and 54% of the services reported having no immigrant staff. Mental health services were more likely to use direct interpreting services, and both mental health and emergency services were more likely to have immigrant staff members.

Discussion

For assessing and improving the quality of care provided for immigrants, there is a need to improve the availability of data on service use by immigrants in health services throughout Europe and to provide more consistent access to interpreting services.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS

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