Healthcare Services Utilization Among Migrants in Portugal: Results From the National Health Survey 2014

Abstract

Migrants' health is attracting substantial global interest. We aimed to identify barriers and differences in healthcare services utilization between migrants and natives in a nationally representative sample using data from the National Health Survey 2014. A total of 18,165 participants providing information on country of birth and nationality were included, and comparison of healthcare services utilization was made by using participants born in Portugal and with Portuguese nationality as the reference group. Migrants reported a lower frequency of medical visits, a higher consumption of medication without a prescription and less use of preventive care services. The main reasons for not attending medical consultations among migrants were the absence of need and financial difficulties. This study illustrates inequalities in healthcare use among migrants in Portugal, and provides useful information for enlightening policymakers and healthcare providers to develop health policies that can address migrants' needs.

The Association Between the Perceived Unjust Treatment in Healthcare Settings and the Unmet Need for General Practitioner Services Among People With Foreign Background in Finland

“…Those respondents who expressed lower self-rated health and/or existing long-term health problems were more likely to experience unmet need for care. This is in line with previous research done in Finland 33,34 and in other countries 3,30 . In addition to health-related factors, only younger age increased the odds for unmet need for care in the nal model.…”

“…Variation between different groups of PFB was also found in the study. 29 PFB that have experienced unjust treatment in medical settings often have fewer medical visits, particularly in relation to preventive care 1,30 , and lower attendance to health screenings 31 . A study about childhood cancer mortality and survival among immigrants in Finland showed that patients of foreign background have higher mortality rates compared to those of Finnish background.…”

COVID-19: What Is Next for Portugal?

“…Migrants' health in Portugal illustrates another aspect of inequality, which translates into migrants using less and reporting more access restrictions (59). Although COVID-19 morbidities and fatalities by immigration status are not available yet, probably existing inequalities will be exacerbated in the present context.…”

“…Also, it is important to know that municipalities with high concentrations of migrants record population density above the national level. For example, the municipality of Amadora, in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, which is known to have one of the largest migrant populations in the country, namely, in the neighborhood of The Bairro da Cova da Moura, is recording the highest population density in the entire country with almost 8000 inhabitants per square kilometer (59), in comparison to the average national population density of 111.5 inhabitants per square kilometer (61). Moreover, the same municipality of Amadora, is currently recording the highest number of new confirmed cases per 10,000 inhabitants above the national average (11.1 new cases per 10,000 inhabitants), followed by municipalities in the same Metropolitan Area of Lisbon as follows: Loures (10.0), Odivelas (7.4), Sintra (5.8), and Lisbon (4.9), which are also known to have high concentrations of migrants.…”

“…Since the government allowed documented migrants full access to health care services, solutions should also be provided to guarantee undocumented migrants full access to healthcare services without bearing any financial or legal consequences, especially in the light of the increasing number of new confirmed cases in areas with high migrant concentrations. Undocumented migrants in Portugal have limited healthcare entitlements compared to documented migrants (59). This unprecedented public health crisis due to COVID-19 should emphasize that the exclusion of any vulnerable populations from health care could halt the fight against the spread of infection.…”