Edinburgh Napier University

  Purpose: Worldwide, more than 214 million people have left their country of origin. Such unprecedented mass migration impacts on health care in host countries. This paper explores and synthesizes literature on the health care experiences of migrants.
Design: A meta- ethnography study (Noblit & Hare) of qualitative studies was conducted.
Methods: Eight databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, EMBASE, Web of Science, Migration Observatory, National Health Service Scotland Knowledge Network, and ASSIA) were searched for relevant full text articles in English, published between January 2006 and June 2016. Articles were screened against inclusion criteria for eligibility. Included articles were assessed for quality and analyzed using Noblit and Hare’s seven step meta ethnography process.
Findings: Twenty-seven studies were included in the review. Five key contextualization dimensions were identified: Personal factors; The healthcare system; Accessing healthcare; The encounter; and Healthcare experiences. These five areas all underlined the uniqueness of each individual migrant, emphasizing the need to treat a person rather than a population. However, with a true person-centred approach, an understanding of the individual’s cultural background is fundamental to effective care.
Conclusion: From the findings, a model has been designed using the five dimensions identified and grounded in a person-centred care approach. This model may serve to help healthcare providers to improve on person-centred care for patients with migrant status.
Clinical relevance: The proposed model facilitates identification of points of weakness in the care for migrant patients. Employing a person- centred care approach may improve health outcomes for migrant patients.