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Immigrants’ access to health care: Problems identified in a high-risk tuberculosis population
oleh: R. Linhas, O. Oliveira, P. Meireles, P. Oliveira, M.B. de Melo, J. Lourenço, F. Ferreira, R. Gaio, R. Duarte
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | Elsevier España 2019-01-01 |
Deskripsi
Introduction: Immigrants may utilize health care services differently than other residents and may also have a greater risk for tuberculosis (TB). Objective: Identify barriers to healthcare access by immigrants, factors associated with these barriers, and discuss strategies that may reduce these barriers. Material and methods: Anonymous questionnaires were given to immigrants at National Immigrant Support Centres between 2015 and 2016. Barriers to healthcare were identified using logistic regression. Results: One-hundred and nineteen questionnaires were administered to immigrants, 9 of whom (8%) presented with TB while in Portugal. Twenty-one percent of immigrants reported barriers to healthcare access, and 69% had general practitioners (GPs). The presence of barriers to healthcare access was negatively associated with having a GP and with being married or in a de facto union. Conclusions: A considerable proportion of immigrants reported having difficulties accessing healthcare services in Portugal where legally these barriers are nonexistent. Certain factors were associated with these difficulties. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Immigration, Health services, Barriers