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Increased Urgent Care Center Visits by Southeast European Migrants: A Retrospective, Controlled Trial from Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Jolanta Klukowska-Röetzler

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland)

  • Maria Eracleous

    (Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Martin Müller

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
    Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital, 50935 Cologne, Germany)

  • David S. Srivastava

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland)

  • Gert Krummrey

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland)

  • Osnat Keidar

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland)

  • Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital, 3010 Berne, Switzerland)

Abstract

We investigated whether immigrants from Southeast Europe (SE) and Swiss patients have different reasons for visiting the emergency department (ED). Our retrospective data analysis for the years 2013–2017 describes the pattern of ED consultations for immigrants from SE living in Switzerland (Canton Bern), in comparison with Swiss nationals, with a focus on type of referral and reason for admission. A total of 153,320 Swiss citizens and 12,852 immigrants from SE were included in the study. The mean age was 51.30 (SD = 21.13) years for the Swiss patients and 39.70 (SD = 15.87) years for the SE patients. For some countries of origin (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey), there were highly statistically significant differences in sex distribution, with a predominance of males. SE immigrants had a greater proportion of patients in the lower triage level (level 3: SE: 67.3% vs. Swiss: 56.0%) and a greater proportion of patients in the high triage level than the Swiss population (level 1: SE: 3.4% vs. Swiss: 8.8%). SE patients of working age (16–65 years) were six times more often admitted by ambulance than older (≥65 years) SE patients, whereas this ratio was similar in the Swiss population. In both groups, the fast track service was primarily used for patients of working age (<65) and more than three times more often in the SE than the Swiss group (SE: 39.1%, Swiss: 12.6%). We identified some indications for access to primary care in emergency departments for immigrants and highlighted the need for attention to the role of organizational characteristics of primary health care in Switzerland. We highlighted the need for professional support to improve the quality of healthcare for immigrants. In the future, we will need more primary care services and general practitioners with a migrant background.

Suggested Citation

  • Jolanta Klukowska-Röetzler & Maria Eracleous & Martin Müller & David S. Srivastava & Gert Krummrey & Osnat Keidar & Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos, 2018. "Increased Urgent Care Center Visits by Southeast European Migrants: A Retrospective, Controlled Trial from Switzerland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:9:p:1857-:d:166164
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. José-Ignacio Antón & Rafael Muñoz de Bustillo, 2010. "Health care utilisation and immigration in Spain," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 11(5), pages 487-498, October.
    2. Giuntella, Osea & Mazzonna, Fabrizio, 2015. "Do immigrants improve the health of natives?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 140-153.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ximena Alvial & Alejandra Rojas & Raúl Carrasco & Claudia Durán & Christian Fernández-Campusano, 2021. "Overuse of Health Care in the Emergency Services in Chile," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Michael Doulberis & Apostolis Papaefthymiou & Jannis Kountouras & Stergios A. Polyzos & Simone Srivastava & Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler & Martin Perrig & Sylvana Papoutsi & Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos & , 2019. "Vitamin D Deficiency and Unclear Abdominal Pain in Patients from Low- and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Osnat Keidar & David S. Srivastava & Emmanouil Pikoulis & Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos, 2019. "Health of Refugees and Migrants—Where Do We Stand and What Directions Should We Take?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-8, April.
    4. Triantafillos Loutroukis & Ekaterini Loutrouki & Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler & Sabine Koba & Fabian Schlittler & Benoit Schaller & Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos & Michael Doulberis & David S. Srivastava & , 2020. "Violence as the Most Frequent Cause of Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries among the Patients from Low- and Middle-Income Countries—A Retrospective Study at a Level I Trauma University Emergency Departmen," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-12, July.
    5. Karsten Klingberg & Adrian Stoller & Martin Müller & Sabrina Jegerlehner & Adam D. Brown & Aristomenis Exadaktylos & Anne Jachmann & David Srivastava, 2020. "Asylum Seekers and Swiss Nationals with Low-Acuity Complaints: Disparities in the Perceived level of Urgency, Health Literacy and Ability to Communicate—A Cross-Sectional Survey at a Tertiary Emergenc," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-11, April.

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