OBJECTIVE: Immigrants in Canada form a significant portion of the population and have unique and complex health needs. This study was undertaken to evaluate family physicians' perspectives on the care of this population. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to family physicians in Montreal (n=598). The main outcomes of interest were attitudes of family physicians to care of immigrants including barriers perceived, resources and strategies used to accommodate immigrant patients, as well as physicians' training in immigrant care. RESULTS: Family physicians find communication difficulties to be the key barrier and would like to see the access to interpreters improved. Very few physicians make use of professional interpreters. Only a minority of physicians have received specific cross-cultural competence training but those who have seem to provide better quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of physician perspectives is an essential element on which to base interventions to improve the quality of care to this population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Physicians should be reminded of the importance of using professional interpretation services in multi-lingual encounters. Cross-cultural training should be further advanced in Canadian medical curricula.
OBJECTIVE: Immigrants in Canada form a significant portion of the population and have unique and complex health needs. This study was undertaken to evaluate family physicians' perspectives on the care of this population. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to family physicians in Montreal (n=598). The main outcomes of interest were attitudes of family physicians to care of immigrants including barriers perceived, resources and strategies used to accommodate immigrant patients, as well as physicians' training in immigrant care. RESULTS: Family physicians find communication difficulties to be the key barrier and would like to see the access to interpreters improved. Very few physicians make use of professional interpreters. Only a minority of physicians have received specific cross-cultural competence training but those who have seem to provide better quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of physician perspectives is an essential element on which to base interventions to improve the quality of care to this population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Physicians should be reminded of the importance of using professional interpretation services in multi-lingual encounters. Cross-cultural training should be further advanced in Canadian medical curricula.
Authors: Jane W Njeru; Deborah H Boehm; Debra J Jacobson; Laura M Guzman-Corrales; Chun Fan; Scott Shimotsu; Mark L Wieland Journal: J Community Health Date: 2017-08
Authors: Mary O'Reilly-de Brún; Tomas de Brún; Ekaterina Okonkwo; Jean-Samuel Bonsenge-Bokanga; Maria Manuela De Almeida Silva; Florence Ogbebor; Aga Mierzejewska; Lovina Nnadi; Evelyn van Weel-Baumgarten; Chris van Weel; Maria van den Muijsenbergh; Anne MacFarlane Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2016-01-20 Impact factor: 2.655
Authors: Nusrat Sharmeen Shommu; Salim Ahmed; Nahid Rumana; Gary R S Barron; Kerry Alison McBrien; Tanvir Chowdhury Turin Journal: Int J Equity Health Date: 2016-01-15