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Healthcare Services for Undocumented Migrants: Organisation and Costs from the Italian NHS Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Elisabetta Listorti

    (Centre for Healthcare and Social Care Management (CERGAS), SDA Bocconi, 20136 Milan, Italy)

  • Aleksandra Torbica

    (Centre for Healthcare and Social Care Management (CERGAS), SDA Bocconi, 20136 Milan, Italy)

  • Silvano G. Cella

    (Laboratory of Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milan, Italy
    National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

  • Gianfrancesco Fiorini

    (Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

  • Giovanni Corrao

    (National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
    Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

  • Matteo Franchi

    (National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
    Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

Based on the principle of health equity, the Italian National Health Service is known worldwide for being a universalistic system that guarantees healthcare services for all its population, among which there are undocumented migrants. A commitment for their health needs is further motivated by their lower utilisation rates of healthcare services, which becomes even more crucial when considering chronic conditions such as diabetes that require adherence and continuity of care. However, the need for more official data has resulted in little research documenting these healthcare usage patterns. For this reason, our objective has been to deepen, from the Italian NHS perspective, the quantity, costs, type, preventability and organisation of healthcare services directed to undocumented migrants. We used official healthcare data from the Lombardy Region, which enable the identification of people receiving the STP code (undocumented migrants) and of people with foreign citizenship (documented migrants). After quantifying the average annual amount and expenditure for healthcare services grouped by Italian citizens, documented migrants and undocumented migrants for all clinical conditions (quantity and costs), we performed three primary investigations where we enlightened differences between the three mentioned groups focusing on the diagnosis of diabetes: (i) mapping the types of healthcare services used and their characteristics (type); (ii) quantifying the impact of preventable hospital admissions (preventability); (iii) examining the healthcare patterns linking pharmaceutical prescriptions with hospital accesses (organisation). Our results reveal significant differences among the three groups, such as more urgent hospital admissions, more preventable complications, and a higher recurrence in terms of access and costs to hospital services rather than pharmaceutical prescriptions for undocumented migrants. These findings can represent the leverage to raise awareness toward the emerging challenges of the migrant health burden.

Suggested Citation

  • Elisabetta Listorti & Aleksandra Torbica & Silvano G. Cella & Gianfrancesco Fiorini & Giovanni Corrao & Matteo Franchi, 2022. "Healthcare Services for Undocumented Migrants: Organisation and Costs from the Italian NHS Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16447-:d:996974
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mladovsky, Philipa & Rechel, Bernd & Ingleby, David & McKee, Martin, 2012. "Responding to diversity: An exploratory study of migrant health policies in Europe," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 1-9.
    2. Sara Barsanti, 2018. "Hospitalization among migrants in Italy: Access to health care as an opportunity for integration and inclusion," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 637-651, July.
    3. Luciana Scalone & Giancarlo Cesana & Gianluca Furneri & Roberta Ciampichini & Paolo Beck-Peccoz & Virginio Chiodini & Silvia Mangioni & Emanuela Orsi & Carla Fornari & Lorenzo Giovanni Mantovani, 2014. "Burden of Diabetes Mellitus Estimated with a Longitudinal Population-Based Study Using Administrative Databases," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Pietro Ferrara, 2020. "Assessing the Economic Burden of Disease in Migrants: The Diabetes Case in Northern Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-2, March.
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    1. Elisabetta Listorti & Aleksandra Torbica & Silvano G. Cella & Gianfrancesco Fiorini & Giovanni Corrao & Matteo Franchi, 2023. "A Cohort Study on Diabetic Undocumented Migrants in Italy: Can Charitable Organizations Contribute to Higher Adherence?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-12, February.

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