The refugee experience of acquiring a family doctor

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Grant ◽  
Maureen Mayhew ◽  
Lorena Mota ◽  
Michael C. Klein ◽  
Arminée Kazanjian

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore refugees’ experiences of the barriers and facilitators involved in finding a regular family doctor. Design/methodology/approach – Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to produce an integrated description sensitive to the lifeworlds of refugees who came from multiple cultural perspectives. Participants consisted of refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Latin America who arrived in Canada between 2005 and 2007. Texts for analysis came from first language focus group discussions and interviews with the interpreters for those groups. Findings – The principal themes that emerged from the experience of barriers were “futility,” “dependence,” and “relevance.” Themes related to the experience of facilitators were “inclusion,” “congruence,” and “benefit to family.” These themes provide key messages about sources of patient decisions to seek or not seek care, not comply, attend irregularly, and not disclose symptoms, which can be used by doctors and other health providers to enhance care planning. Practical implications – The factors that facilitate refugees’ access to a regular family doctor have implications for the development of culturally appropriate healthcare information, policies that support adequate interpreter services, and cultural sensitivity training for physicians. Originality/value – Previous research documents barriers such as lack of language access, differences in health beliefs, and lack of knowledge about western healthcare systems. However, little is known about how refugees experience these barriers, nor how they overcome them. This study contributes a rich and deeper understanding of how refugees experience these barriers and elucidates factors that facilitate their process of obtaining a regular family doctor.

Author(s):  
Hongming Cheng

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore determining factors that account for variation in public satisfaction with the local police in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Design/methodology/approach – An integrated method was used to gather the data for this study, including official survey data conducted by Insightrix, and interviews with citizens in Saskatoon. Findings – This research found that demographic factors including age, race (in this study, Aboriginal status in particular), education, and income, perception of neighborhood safety, citizen-police interaction, and learning about crime from news media all have impact on public attitudes toward the police, to different degrees. The gap or distance between the police and the Aboriginal community was highlighted as a major factor. Research limitations/implications – Further research should be done to compare statistical patterns in other same-level cities in Canada. Practical implications – This paper indicates that Saskatoon Police Service in the future should provide a more structured avenue for citizen participation in establishing safe neighborhoods, more structured cultural sensitivity training, and create a wider channel through which community residents with various social backgrounds can demand some measure of accountability for police work in their area. Originality/value – The paper is of value to law enforcement policy-makers and academic researchers with interest in policing and police-community relationship.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 420-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mire Sugino ◽  
Elsi Dwi Hapsari ◽  
Ema Madyaningrum ◽  
Fitri Haryant ◽  
Sri Warsini ◽  
...  

Purpose – Bantul in Central Java was the most severely damaged area by a devastating earthquake in May 2006. Even after being victims themselves, nurses and midwives at public health centers worked devotedly. The purpose of this paper is to identify the nurses’ and midwives’ perceptions and understanding of their roles, as well as the needs of training in disaster preparedness and management. Design/methodology/approach – Focus group discussions and questionnaire survey were conducted with 11 nurses and 11 midwives of public health centers in Bantul. Content analysis was applied to analyze transcripts of the focus group discussions and the responses to questionnaire. Findings – Health care for survivors and community were provided by highly committed health professionals supported in strong community resilience. Donors driven relief programs tended to be unorganized and insensitive for local health providers. Besides, organized disaster management trainings are strongly needed to develop disaster nursing and preparedness. Research limitations/implications – Embedded problems of local health system and current nursing practice were highlighted. Originality/value – Focus group discussions provided vital information that can and must be used to improve disaster response capabilities. Moreover, it was equally it is crucial to examine carefully what unfolded during post-disaster intervention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27
Author(s):  
Philippa Miskelly ◽  
Ngaire Kerse ◽  
Janine Wiles

Purpose Managing patients in advanced age is complex, especially when it comes to multi-morbidities and polypharmacy. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate challenges, opportunities and potential solutions from a primary healthcare provider perspective. Design/methodology/approach Fifty-seven participants joined in group discussions on challenges and opportunities of working with advanced age. Participants included general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, students and administration staff working in ten general practices. A thematic analysis was developed, supported by NVivo software. Findings Poor lines of communication and fragmentation of services between differing levels of health care services available for older people were highlighted. This has implications for quality of care and equity of services. Participants also reported challenges in treatment and funding regimes. Research limitations/implications The small sample size and regional nature of the study, along with the semi-structured nature of the group discussions and rigorous thematic analysis, indicate that this qualitative data is transferable, dependable, confirmable and credible. Comparing the views of tertiary and community services would be useful. Practical implications A range of potential strategies and solutions to the current fragmented services was offered by GPs. For example, adequately funded and staffed community-based health hubs; IT platforms enabling timely flow of patient information between primary and tertiary health providers and creation of medical, nursing and allied health roles aimed at improving synergy between GP and tertiary services. Originality/value Obtaining the perspectives of general practice highlights the challenges and complexities of caring for those in advanced age brings. These insights have not been previously been explored in-depth within this setting in New Zealand.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Herrero-Arias ◽  
Esperanza Diaz

Abstract Background Patients’ experiences with health providers and their diagnostic and treatment expectations are shaped by cultural health beliefs and previous experiences with healthcare services in home country. This study explores how Southern European immigrant parents navigate the Norwegian healthcare system, through its focus on how this group manage their expectations on diagnosis and treatment practices when these are unmet. Methods The study had a qualitative research design. Fourteen in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions with 20 Southern European immigrant parents were conducted in 2017 in three Norwegian municipalities. With the help of NVivo software, data were transcribed verbatim and coded. Following a thematic analysis approach to identify patterns in immigrants’ experiences with the Norwegian healthcare services, the codes were organized into two themes. Results The first theme includes immigrants’ expectations on diagnostic tests and medical treatment. Southern European immigrants expected more diagnostic tests and pharmacological treatment than what was deemed necessary by Norwegian health providers. Experiences with unmet expectations influenced how immigrants addressed their and their children’s healthcare needs. The second theme comprises immigrants’ experiences of seeking healthcare in Norway (attending medical consultations in the private sector, seeking immigrant healthcare providers, and navigating the healthcare through their Norwegian social networks). This category includes also the alternative solutions immigrants undertook when they were dissatisfied with the diagnosis and treatment practices they were offered in Norway (self-medication and seeking healthcare in home countries). Conclusions Cultural health beliefs and previous experiences with healthcare services from home country shaped immigrants’ expectations on diagnosis and treatment practices. This had great implications for their navigation through the healthcare system and interactions with health providers in the host country. The study suggests that successful inclusion of immigrants into the Norwegian healthcare system requires an acknowledgement of the cultural factors that influence access and use of healthcare services. Exploring immigrants’ perspectives and experiences offers important information to understand the challenges of cross-cultural healthcare and to improve communication and equitable access.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-101
Author(s):  
Juhn Chris Espia ◽  
Alma Maria Salvador

Purpose The recent shift in the Philippine Government’s emphasis from response to a more proactive approach came with the recognition that different stakeholders play important roles in the governance of disaster risk. The purpose of this paper is to look beyond the question as to whether all stakeholders are involved in disaster risk management planning and examines the extent by which the narratives of risk of actors at the margins shape how risk is framed in municipal DRM planning in Antique, Philippines. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a field study carried out in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique Province, Philippines. Data were gathered through key informant interviews and focus group discussions as well as a review of archival records and documents. Findings The narratives of CSOs and communities, which revolve around livelihoods and community life are conspicuously absent from the plans whereas that of government actors occupy a central position in the risk discourse. The study highlights the power-saturated process of defining and addressing risk to disasters, where knowledge is intimately linked to power as some voices shape plans and policies, whereas, others are excluded because their knowledge is socially constructed as less reliable and therefore irrelevant. Originality/value There is a dearth of studies that examine disaster risk as social constructions in the context of planning in the Philippines and in other disaster-prone countries.


1994 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Schwab ◽  
Julie Meyer ◽  
Rosa Merrell

Adherence to the treatment regimen for patients with diabetes is of major concern to healthcare practitioners, particularly when dealing with the high-risk, low-income, Mexican-American population. Assessing the attitudes and beliefs of this group is vital for planning effective and realistic intervention strategies. Therefore, we designed a culturally sensitive instrument to measure health beliefs and attitudes of low-income Mexican Americans with diabetes. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as a basis for this study because it is well accepted as a predictor of health-related behaviors. However, we found that the HBM was not an effective tool for assessing the health beliefs or attitudes of this patient population even after rigorous efforts to operationalize the HBM and after conducting extensive statistical analyses. Only two of the five subscales of the traditional HBM, barriers and benefits, were reliable. Scales to measure acculturation and fatalism were added to increase the cultural sensitivity of the tool. These added components were found to be an important variable in interpreting the results for low-income Mexican-American patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Dang Lang ◽  
Abhishek Behl ◽  
Nguyen Trung Dong ◽  
Yama Temouri ◽  
Nguyen Hong Thu

PurposeCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has seriously affected the global economy. How agribusinessmen are overcoming this crisis is being noticed in emerging markets. Using social capital to diversify agribusiness for getting more customers is a useful solution for the growth of agribusiness. However, there is a lack of evidence on the aggregate measurement scale of social capital and the influence of behavioral goals on the intention toward agribusiness diversification. Therefore, this study aims to develop an integrated measurement of social capital and investigate its effect on agribusiness diversification intention using the expanded theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach is used, including four in-depth interviews, three focus group discussions and two surveys. Structural equation modeling is applied to a sample of 484 respondents to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe study shows the role of social capital in influencing the intention to diversify agribusiness under the premises of the resource-based view (RBV). The scale of social capital is also developed, which is the first integrated measurement of this asset. The findings contribute significantly to the existing knowledge of social capital, the TPB and diversifying agribusiness.Originality/valueThis is the first study to explore the comprehensive effect of the facets of social capital on behavioral intention through behavioral goals and determinants of the TPB under the premises of the RBV. The findings will help emerging economies, for example, Vietnam, where most farmers are family business owners or microscaled entrepreneurs in agriculture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-194
Author(s):  
Anne-France Pinget

Abstract In Belgium, Dutch as spoken by Francophone learners is relatively frequent in political, commercial or educational contexts. While the characteristics of this second language (L2) variety have been studied extensively, there is to date no systematic report of how it is evaluated by either native speakers of Dutch or non-natives. Previous studies conducted in other language contexts have found that non-natives tend to be very critical towards L2 accents similar to their own. The main goal of the present study is to investigate the extent to which the listener’s first language (L1) impacts ratings of the fluency, accentedness and comprehensibility of L2 Dutch as spoken by Francophone learners and how it impacts the identification of the speakers’ L1. Specifically, we compared ratings by three groups of listeners: Francophone learners of Dutch, native speakers of Belgian Dutch and native speakers of Netherlandic Dutch. Moreover, the extent to which three additional cognitive and environmental factors influence L2 ratings is examined: listeners’ familiarity with the L2 variety, their language aptitude and language proficiency. The results show that the majority of native and non-native listeners recognized the speakers’ L1 (French). Non-native listeners perceived L2 speech as less fluent, less comprehensible and more accented than natives did, which corroborates the previously reported critical attitudes towards a shared L2 accent. Moreover, subtle differences in accent and fluency ratings were found between the Netherlandic Dutch and the Belgian Dutch listeners. No clear effects of other cognitive and environmental factors appeared in the ratings.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meena Rambocas ◽  
Jon Marc Mahabir

PurposeConsumers' attitude toward luxury brands remains a crucial area for many researchers and marketers. But, attitude toward domestically-produced luxury fashion brands in developing countries have not been sufficiently examined. Drawing on the social identity theory (SIT), this study proposes that consumer ethnocentrism (CE) and cultural sensitivity (CS) will significantly influence attitudes toward luxury fashion brands produced in Trinidad and Tobago. Furthermore, the study suggests that consumer demographical characteristics of age, gender and income will moderate the influence.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 160 fashion consumers and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe findings confirm the positive impact of CE on consumers' attitude toward domestically produced luxury products, while CS has a significant but negative effect. Also, the results show that these effects are consistent across different levels of income, but vary by age and gender.Practical implicationsThese findings provide a deeper understanding of consumers' perceptions and inherent biases toward luxury brands. It further explains how brands with ostentatious value, in particular fashion brands, produced in Trinidad and Tobago, can compete against larger international brands.Originality/valueThe study is one of the few that examines the effects of personal values on attitudes toward luxurious fashion brands produced in a developing country. It uniquely extends the SIT model by examining the influence of CE, CS and demographical characteristics on preferential attitudes toward locally produced luxury fashion brands.


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