Barriers to home care for terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan migrants, perceived by GPs and nurses: a survey
2009

Barriers to Home Care for Terminally Ill Turkish and Moroccan Migrants

Sample size: 171 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Fuusje M de Graaff, Anneke L Francke

Primary Institution: Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam

Hypothesis

How do general practitioners and home care nurses perceive the home care for terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan migrants and their families in the Netherlands?

Conclusion

Communication problems are the main barrier to the use of home care for terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan migrants, according to both GPs and nurses.

Supporting Evidence

  • 40% of GPs regretted not referring terminally ill Turkish and Moroccan migrants to home care.
  • Nurses expressed dissatisfaction with home care due to communication problems.
  • Both GPs and nurses agreed that Turkish and Moroccan patients need better coaching and information about home care services.

Takeaway

Doctors and nurses think that language problems make it hard for Turkish and Moroccan families to get the help they need at home when someone is very sick.

Methodology

Questionnaires were sent to home care organizations and GPs, with 93 nurses and 78 GPs responding about their experiences and opinions.

Potential Biases

Potential recall bias as respondents were asked to describe their last patient from the past four years.

Limitations

The study only included nurses and GPs who had cared for terminally ill Turkish or Moroccan patients in the last four years, which may not represent all professionals' views.

Participant Demographics

93 nurses (mostly female, average age 43) and 78 GPs (mostly male, average age 49) participated.

Statistical Information

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1472-684X-8-3

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