Access to healthcare among Chinese immigrants living in Seville, Spain

Objective To investigate the use of healthcare services and factors associated with accessing them among Chinese immigrants living in Southern Spain. Method A mixed methodology was used. A cross-sectional survey was first administered to Chinese immigrants (n = 133), and they were asked about their...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Badanta Romero, Bárbara, Lucchetti, Giancarlo, Barrientos Trigo, Sergio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/140737
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/140737
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2019.09.008
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Health services accessibility
Minority group
Public health
Transcultural nursing
Accesibilidad a los servicios de salud
Grupo minoritario
Salud pública
Enfermería transcultural
Descripción
Sumario:Objective To investigate the use of healthcare services and factors associated with accessing them among Chinese immigrants living in Southern Spain. Method A mixed methodology was used. A cross-sectional survey was first administered to Chinese immigrants (n = 133), and they were asked about their visits to the doctor, use of emergency services, and hospitalization. A phenomenological approach was then used with key informants (n = 7). In the interviews, additional information, such as barriers and facilitators to improving accessibility, was explored. Results In the previous year, 51% had visited a doctor and 34% had visited an Emergency Department. The main reasons for hospitalization were pregnancy (37.5%) and surgery (25%). At least 20% of the sample reported having never visited a doctor. Language difficulties and time constraints were identified as important barriers to accessibility. Sex differences were found among the reasons for lack of time, which, in men, were related to work (odds ratio [OR] = 7.7) and, in women, were related to childcare (OR = 12). The majority of Chinese immigrants preferred to use Traditional Chinese Medicine as their first treatment rather than visiting a doctor. Conclusions A lower use of health services was found among Chinese immigrants in Spain compared to the native population. When using health services, they choose acute care settings. Communication and waiting times are highlighted as major barriers. Adapting these demands to the healthcare system may help immigrants to trust their healthcare providers, thus increasing their use of health services and improving their treatment.