Caring for Migrant and Minority Patients in European Hospitals


Book Description

Social changes in European societies place migration and cultural diversity on the European political agenda. The European initiative Migrant Friendly Hospitals (MFH) aims to identify, develop and evaluate models of effective interventions. It has the following objectives: To strengthen the role of hospitals in promoting the health of migrants and ethnic minorities in the European Union and to improve hospital services for these groups. This report reviews models of effective intervention in the medical literature and provides the background information needed to enable partner hospitals taking part in the MFH initiative to select and implement suitable interventions. The interventions reviewed in this study are grouped in four areas: Communication, Responsiveness Empowerment of migrant and minority patients and communities. Monitoring of the health of migrants and minorities and the health care they receive. [Ed.]




Inequalities in Health Care for Migrants and Ethnic Minorities


Book Description

Vol. 1 examines how much is known about migrant and ethnic minority health and where the barriers to scientific progress lie. Vol. 2 is concerned with the changes that are needed to improve the matching of health services to the needs of these groups.




Migration And Health In The European Union


Book Description

"This book can be read by anyone with an interest in migration and health, whether as an advocate for migrants health, as a student in a health profession, researcher or policy maker. It provides an ample orientation to the field in the European context. Among other important raised issues, it underlines an all too often neglected fact; health is a human right. By involving broad issues and problem areas from a variety of perspectives, the volume illustrates that migration and health is a field that can not be allocated to a single discipline." Carin Bjrngren Cuadra, Senior Lecturer, Malm University, Sweden Migrants make up a growing share of European populations. However, all too often their situation is compounded by problems with accessing health and other basic services. There is a need for tailored health policies, but robust data on the health needs of migrants and how best these needs can be met are scarce. Written by a collaboration of authors from three key international organisations (the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, the EUPHA Section on Migrant and Ethnic Minority Health, and the International Organization for Migration), as well as leading researchers from across Europe, the book thoroughly explores the different aspects of migration and health in the EU and how they can be addressed by health systems. Structured into five easy-to-follow sections, the volume includes: Contributions from experts from across Europe Key topics such as: access to human rights and health care; health issues faced by migrants; and the national and European policy response so far Conclusions drawn from the latest available evidence Comprehensive information on different aspects of health and migration and how they can best be addressed by health systems is still not easy to find. This book addresses this shortfall and will be of major value to researchers, students, policy-makers and practitioners concerned with migration and health in an increasingly diverse Europe.




Migration and Health


Book Description

This book addresses the research and policy issues that emerge from the interface of different cultures as a consequence of migration. It includes articles on the following issues: (1) the contribution of the social sciences to an understanding of migrant health needs; (2) health care across cultural boundaries; (3) health care for labor immigrants; (4) philosophical considerations of health care policy and the position of ethnic minorities; (5) health care research and evaluation in a host country: The Netherlands; (6) health care and Moroccan and Turkish immigrants; (7) problems of health and health care research with particular reference to ethnic minorities; (8) health care research and evaluation from the country of origin: Turkey and Morocco; (9) social and health problems of migrant workers; (10) social and health care of Moroccan workers in Europe; (11) aspects of health care intervention in host countries; (12) advocating for migrants' health; (13) migrants' special needs in sexuality and family planning in Belgium and Germany; (14) health care and education aids for foreigners in the Netherlands; (15) mental health of migrants; and (16) psycho-social problems of migrants. The book concludes with recommendations for researchers and practitioners. (LHW)




Migrants and Health


Book Description

Integrating newcomers and minorities into the social fabric of receiving countries has become one of the crucial challenges of contemporary Western societies. This volume seeks to understand patterns of changing institutional practices and public policies where the challenges of including cultural diversity into the social fabric are most pronounced: namely the health care system. In recent years, pro-migrant organizations and anti-racist activists have repeatedly voiced and politicized demands to improve migrants' access to the health-care system giving rise to a lively debate about migrants' access to health-care and responsiveness of institutions to their needs. In a nutshell the book achieves the following: - Provides a conceptual framework to link patterns of political advocacy/mobilization and processes of migrants' socio-political inclusion - Integrates the (multi-disciplinary) literature on political mobilization and accommodating cultural diversity in an innovative fashion - Presents a comparative study on accommodating diversity in the health care system from a comparative transatlantic perspective - Generates insight into best practices in the health care system that will be of interest to scholars as well as practitioners in the field. The analysis of health care provision offers an opportunity to test new public policy strategies and the policy consequences of the now widespread aspiration to include citizens more fully in designing and implementing them.




Unequal Treatment


Book Description

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are known to reflect access to care and other issues that arise from differing socioeconomic conditions. There is, however, increasing evidence that even after such differences are accounted for, race and ethnicity remain significant predictors of the quality of health care received. In Unequal Treatment, a panel of experts documents this evidence and explores how persons of color experience the health care environment. The book examines how disparities in treatment may arise in health care systems and looks at aspects of the clinical encounter that may contribute to such disparities. Patients' and providers' attitudes, expectations, and behavior are analyzed. How to intervene? Unequal Treatment offers recommendations for improvements in medical care financing, allocation of care, availability of language translation, community-based care, and other arenas. The committee highlights the potential of cross-cultural education to improve provider-patient communication and offers a detailed look at how to integrate cross-cultural learning within the health professions. The book concludes with recommendations for data collection and research initiatives. Unequal Treatment will be vitally important to health care policymakers, administrators, providers, educators, and students as well as advocates for people of color.




Community-Based Medical Education


Book Description

'After over 30 years in medical education, it has been very refreshing to read this book and realize that I still have more to learn.The authors build a bridge between educational principles and teaching in community clinical settings. An invaluable resource to community practitioners with a teaching role whether they are new to teaching or have had learners in their practice for many years.' Roger Strasser, in the Foreword As medical education evolves and becomes more evenly distributed between formal, university-based instruction and practical, work-based guidance, busy clinicians are increaslingly involved in training. Without formal teaching expertise, these clinicians often struggle with aspects of medical education, experience feelings of isolation, and are in need of teaching support. This comprehensive handbook provides a concise overview of information required to implement up-to-date educational strategies, offers direction on academic principles and teaches clinicians how to manage learners. Designed specifically with busy physicians in mind, it is organized to act as both a quick trouble-shooting resource and a reflective educational guide. Community-based medical educators will find this manual stimulating reading, as will all clinicians in medical education.




Handbook of Research on Medical Interpreting


Book Description

Providing efficient and safe healthcare services is tenuous even at the best of times. Hospital staff who must also circumnavigate language barriers are placed in problematic, perhaps disastrous, situations if they have not received the proper training. The Handbook of Research on Medical Interpreting is a compendium of essential reference material discussing the educational, ethical, pedagogical, and specialized aspects of medical interpreting. Featuring research on topics such as patient care, competent healthcare, and specialized training, this book is ideally designed for hospital staff, healthcare administrators, medical specialists, professional interpreters, industry professionals, academicians, researchers, and students seeking coverage on a new, international perspective to the medical sciences.




Immigration, Public Policy, and Health


Book Description

This timely edited collection by Dennis Raphael critically analyzes how public policy directions affect the health outcomes of immigrants. Using a comparative case study methodology, the contributing authors consider the immigration experience in nine developed nations: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Immigration, Public Policy, and Health sets out to ascertain if the form of the welfare state—whether social democratic, conservative, or liberal—interacts with the politics of a nation to shape the lived experiences and health of newcomers. Highlighting the importance of understanding how public policies determine the quality and distribution of the social determinants of health, this volume identifies numerous issues that are common across the nine nations and suggests future directions for immigration policy and research. The contributors address current topics, including the “healthy immigrant effect,” the experiences of immigrants versus refugees, the influence of anti-immigration political parties, and the link between multiculturalism policies and successful integration. Featuring chapter objectives, critical thinking questions, glossaries, and annotated lists of recommended readings and websites, this highly accessible text is the perfect resource for instructors and students in health sciences, sociology, and immigration studies.




Somali Refugees in Switzerland


Book Description

This study describes the profile of the Somali population living in Switzerland, as well as highlights their migration histories and trajectories. The analysis is complemented by a detailed insight into the living conditions and asylum policies in Switzerland and other host countries along the route. The aim of this double-layer analysis (micro and meso levels) is to provide a detailed understanding of the motives that prompt Somali refugees to undertake secondary movements from a first country of asylum in the search of better conditions in another one. This study is part of a wide-ranging, multi-sited project focusing on the secondary movements of Somali refugees in eight countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.