CONTACT WITH HEALTH-CARE SERVICE EXPECTATION AND REALITY OF SITUATION EXPERIENCED BY IMMIGRANTS SEEKING SWEDISH HEALTH-CARE

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate how immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia and Kosovo experienced contact with Swedish health-care regarding meeting with health-care professionals.

Material and methods: Eighteen participants, nine men and nine women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia and Kosovo participated in focus group interviews (FGI). Data were collected from April 2013 to April 2014 through three group interviews using open-ended questions. A qualitative approach, incorporating a critical incident technique (CIT) was used.

Results: The findings highlighted patient's negative experiences regarding the Swedish health care system. Their main complaints concerned delayed ambulances, lack of doctors in outpatient clinics, long journeys to the hospital and long waiting time at the emergency department. Lack of information about the disease, difficulties seeing a doctor in the department, poor language skills and insufficient interpreters were some of other difficulties that mentioned by participants.

Conclusions: In order to provide satisfactory health care to patient with different ethnic backgrounds, it is important to be aware of their vulnerable situation and their limit capacity to express their needs. This research could be a starting point in developing strategies for reducing ethnicity-based misunderstandings and inequalities in the health-care system.

Keywords: Immigrants; expectations; experiences; health-care system; trans cultural health care.