Immigrant and health

By Ingvild M. Kvisle | 5. July 2017

The report “Immigration and health” is a summary of three projects initiated by Mental Helse (Mental health) and KBT, as a part of the former’s commitment to the immigrant community. KBT has received grants from Central Norway Regional Health Authority there the aim has been to:

  • Trying out measures to help immigrants better the health care service
  • Accentuate experiences from immigrants about how the health care system works
  • Trying out methods of collection of information from immigrant communities, with intent to improve it
  • Carrying out preventive measures in relation to elevating the immigrants´ knowledge of mental health and healthcare, through information and discussions of central topics
  • Offer self-help and coping measures for immigrants
  • There should be a greater emphasis on establishing platforms in which to reach immigrants with health related information
  • There should also be an emphasis on information about illnesses, treatments, and in which situations one should seek professional help
  • Municipalities, doctors, and LMS-centers would be key collaborators in this work
  • Whenever medical personnel are to meet with a patient of a foreign background, there should be routines for mapping out the individual´s knowledge and perception of his/her situation
  • Practical measures in volunteer organizations are an important tool to reach immigrants with medical information
  • The health services should view volunteer and service user organizations as a resource in their work to reach these groups
  • There should be established a collaboration between health services and public agencies regarding information, volunteering, and organizations

KBT is under the impression that there should be a greater knowledge on immigrants reaching out to the health service. How do the immigrants feel being met by the personnel? What expectations are made from the services in regards to knowledge of the different groups´ need? What information do they need about medicine and medical services, and what measures are needed to lay the grounds for such information? How may preventive measures in mental health be aimed at this group of Regional Health Authority’s patients?


Authors:
Heidi Westerlund
Ota Ogie
Per Morten Jørstad
Dagfinn Bjørgen

 

Report in Norwegian:
Innvandrer og helse (2010)

Posted in Projects 2010 and tagged , , , , , ,