Background:
Poles constitute the largest group of migrants in
Norway. Research confirms a steady inflow and
a minimal outflow of Polish migrants. One of the key aspects of migrants
’
structural integration is access to
health care services. This study explored barriers to and facilitators of Polish migrants
’
access to Norwegian
health care services.
Methods:
A qualitative interview-based study was carri
ed out between November 2013 and July 2014. The study
is part of a larger, ongoing mixed-method study of Polish migrants
’
access to health care services in Norway.
Semi-structured interviews were con
ducted with 19 Polish migrants in Oslo. The interviews were transcribed,
coded, and analyzed. Thematic analysis was performed to
identify barriers and facilitators related to the use of
Norwegianhealthcareservices.
Results:
Migrants experienced several barriers to and facilita
tors of access to health care services in Norway. The
barriers most often mentioned were problems resulting from insufficient command of the language, related
communication problems, and lack of knowledge about navigating the Norwegian health care system. Other
barriers related to the organization of the health care system, perceptions of doctors
’
skills and practices, and
attitudes among health personnel. Factors such as having a Polish social network, meeting friendly health personnel,
and perceptions of equal treatment of all patients, facilitated access to and use of health care services.
Conclusions:
The study shows that there are both system- and p
atient-related barrier
s to and facilitators of
migrants
’
access to health services in Norway. These findin
gs suggest that successful inclusion of migrants
into the Norwegian health system requires regular evalua
tion of access and utilization of health care services