Use of Health Services by Migrants in Greece

• Published in: International journal of caring sciences Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 1799 - 1806
• Main Authors: Galanis, Petros, Spyros, Koureas, Bellali, Thalia, Siskou, Olga, Konstantakopoulou, Olympia, Xafini, Katerina, Angelopoulos, Georgios, Kaitelidou, Daphne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nicosia Professor Despina Sapountzi - Krepia Publisher of the International Journal of Caring Sciences 01.09.2022
• Subjects: Cross-sectional studies; Health care policy; Health insurance; Health services; Hospitals; Immigrants; Knowledge; Length of stay; Population; Public health; Response rates; Self evaluation; Statistical analysis; Variables; Greece; United States > US; Africa; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics > USSR; Albania
• ISSN: 1791-5201; 1792-037X

Introduction: Access to health services for vulnerable groups such as migrants is a major public health issue worldwide. Aim: To assess the use of health services by migrants in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2022. We collected data from migrants that have visited the outpatients clinics in three hospitals in Attica. A convenience sample was obtained and the response rate was 36.7% (=770/2100). Results: Mean age of the migrants was 40.6 years, while mean length of stay in Greece was 8.3 years. Most of the participants were females (59%), had a health insurance (83.6%), and had a bad/very bad financial status (40.1%). Among migrants, 34.7% reported that they did not medicine due to cost, while 33.8% reported that they cannot use health services although there was a need for them. Level of migrants' knowledge of the rights to use health services was moderate. Moreover, self-assessment of cost as an obstacle to use health services and the complexity of the health system was moderate. Migrants from Asian and African countries were more often unable to use health services (p<0.001). Also, migrants from Asian and African countries considered cost as an obstacle to use health services in a greater way (p=0.008). The most frequent reasons that migrants have not been able to use health services were lack of knowledge about finding health services (59.2%), inability to make an appointment (56.9%), high cost (56.2%), communication and understanding problems (56.2%), long waiting time (48.5%), and lack of health insurance (34.2%). Conclusions: Improving access to health services for vulnerable groups, such as migrants, and reducing prejudice and inequalities is an obligation for all countries, especially European countries.