Professionals' and Intercultural Mediators' Perspectives on Communication With Ukrainian Refugees in the Czech Healthcare System

Bibliographic Data

ID19507334
AuthorsJolana Kopsa Těšinová (0000-0001-5998-9763, Institute of Public Health and Medical Law, First Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic), Karolína Dobiášová (0000-0001-9384-1076, Institute of Public Health and Medical Law, First Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic), Marie Jelínková (0000-0002-6029-0447, Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences Charles University Prague Czech Republic, corresponding author), Elena Tulupová (0000-0002-6069-7714, Institute of Public Health and Medical Law, First Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic), Michal Koščík (0000-0002-9243-6391, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic)
Year2024
Volume27
Issue4
Pagese14171-e14171
Publication date2024-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Expectations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-6513 • E-ISSN: 1369-7625
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/hex.14171
PMID39150347
OpenAlexW4401639454
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited35

INTRODUCTION: A growing body of research is examining how healthcare systems are responding to the increasing numbers of migrants and the resulting superdiversity of patients. The aim of this article is to identify and explain communication barriers in the provision of healthcare to Ukrainian war refugees in the Czech Republic from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and intercultural mediators. METHODS: The exploratory case study is based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with frontline health professionals: 20 with doctors and 10 with nurses. The second source of data is two focus groups aimed at capturing communication problems from the perspective of intercultural mediators who accompany refugees to health facilities. The interview transcripts and FGs were analysed using six-stage thematic coding. RESULTS: The survey identified five main themes related to barriers to communication: (1) language barriers and interpreting, (2) cultural barriers, (3) differing expectations of health and the healthcare systems in the Czech Republic and Ukraine, (4) prejudices and negative attitudes and unethical behaviour towards refugees and migrants and (5) lack of awareness of patient rights. CONCLUSIONS: The arrival of large numbers of migrants has highlighted deficiencies in the system that may affect other vulnerable groups and the general population. These include the lack of general communication skills and legal awareness among many health professionals, which are barriers to the development of patient-centred care. The involvement of intercultural mediators fundamentally improves communication between health professionals and (not only) migrant patients. Nevertheless, it is necessary to legally anchor and define the position of intercultural mediators within the healthcare system. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Collaboration with intercultural mediators who interpreted the extensive experiences of Ukrainian refugee patients and also have personal experience as migrant or migrant-origin patients contributed to shaping research questions, facilitating study participation and enriching evidence interpretation. Researchers with multicultural backgrounds and experience with working with people from refugee backgrounds were involved in the study design and analysis

Czech · Environmental health · Exploratory research · Focus group · Health care · Language barrier · Political science · Population · Public relations · Qualitative research · Refugee · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Ukrainian · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology

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