Facilitating refugees’ access to family doctors

• Published in: International journal of migration, health and social care Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 1 - 17
• Main Authors: Mayhew, Maureen, Grant, Karen J, Mota, Lorena, Rouhani, Setareh, Klein, Michael C, Kazanjian, Arminée
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hove Emerald Group Publishing Limited 16-03-2015
• Subjects: Bias; Citizenship; Clinics; Competence; Families & family life; Health & social care; Health care; Households; Immigration; Inequalities & diverse/minority groups; Interpreters; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Noncitizens; Physicians; Primary care; Refugees; Telephone surveys; Vulnerable groups; Canada; Access; Healthcare; Refugee; Disparities; Migrant; Primary care
• ISSN: 1747-9894; 2042-8650
• DOI: 10.1108/IJMHSC-12-2013-0046

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to describe the patient level characteristics of government-assisted refugees (GARs) who had acquired family doctors after leaving specialized refugee clinics (RC).
Design/methodology/approach
– A cross-sectional telephone survey of GARs households, three to six years after arrival to British Columbia, that used logistic regression to identify GAR characteristics associated with having a family doctor compared to having no family doctor or remaining at a RC.
Findings
– Contact rate was 52 percent. Of 177 interviewed GARs who spoke 24 languages, only 61 percent had secured a family doctor. Only 57 percent were educated; 46 percent spoke English and 40 percent worked consistently. Central Asian or African origin was associated with having a family doctor (OR 10.6 (95 percent CI 3.1-36.8) for RC; OR 10.3 (95 percent CI 2.2-47.8) for no family doctor). Other significant characteristics in the comparison with GARs at a RC included English proficiency (OR 15.6 (95 percent CI 4.3-56.9)), and female sex (OR 4.0 (95 percent CI 1.4-1.1)). When compared to those with no family doctor, additional significant characteristics included Health Authority A compared to B (OR 8.9, 95 percent CI 1.4-55.6) and having recently visited a doctor (OR 7.7 (95 percent CI 1.9-30.7)).
Research limitations/implications
– The results of this study are limited to a specific environment and the low contact rate may have resulted in bias.
Originality/value
– This study described characteristics of GARs who had successfully transitioned to a family doctor and those who had not. This population is rarely captured in studies because they are difficult to contact, ethnically diverse and not proficient in English.