Barriers and facilitators to health care access for people experiencing homelessness in four European countries: an exploratory qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are known to be at higher risk of adverse health outcomes and premature mortality when compared to the housed population and often face significant barriers when attempting to access health services. This study aimed to better understand the specific health care needs of PEH and the barriers and facilitators associated with their timely and equitable access to health services in the European context. METHODS: We conducted an exploratory cross-national qualitative study involving people with lived experience of homelessness and health and social care professionals in Austria, Greece, Spain, and the UK. A total of 69 semi-structured interviews comprising 15 social care professionals, 19 health care professionals, and 35 PEH were completed, transcribed, and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Findings were organised into three overarching themes relating to the research question: (a) Health care needs of PEH, (b) Barriers to health care access, and (c) Facilitators to health care access. Overall, the general health of PEH was depicted as extremely poor, and mainstream health services were portrayed as ill-equipped to respond to the needs of this population. Adopting tailored approaches to care, especially involving trusted professionals in the delivery of care, was identified as a key strategy for overcoming existing barriers. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate there to be a high degree of consistency in the health care needs of PEH and the barriers and facilitators associated with their access to health care across the various European settings. Homelessness in itself is recognized to represent an essential social determinant of health, with PEH at risk of unequal access to health services. Changes are thus required to facilitate PEH's access to mainstream primary care. This can also be further complemented by investment in 'in-reach' services and other tailored and person-centred forms of health care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered retrospectively on June 6, 2022, in the registry of ClinicalTrials.gov under the number NCT05406687.

Access to Vaccination for Newly Arrived Migrants: Developing a General Conceptual Framework for Understanding How to Improve Vaccination Coverage in European Countries.

Objectives: Access to vaccination for newly arrived migrants (NAMs) is a relevant concern that requires urgent attention in EU/EEA countries. This study aimed to develop a General Conceptual Framework (GCF) for understanding how to improve vaccination coverage for NAMs, by characterizing and critically analyzing system barriers and possible strategies to increase vaccination. Methods: A theoretical conceptualization of the GCF was hypothesized based on conceptual hubs in the immunization process. Barriers and solutions were identified through a non-systematic desktop literature review and qualitative research. The GCF guided the activities and facilitated the integration of results, thereby enriching the GCF with content. Results: The study explores the vaccination of NAMs and proposes strategies to overcome barriers in their vaccination process. It introduces a framework called GCF, which consists of five interconnected steps: entitlement, reachability, adherence, achievement, and evaluation of vaccination. The study also presents barriers and solutions identified through literature review and qualitative research, along with strategies to enhance professionals' knowledge, improve reachability, promote adherence, achieve vaccination coverage, and evaluate interventions. The study concludes by recommending strategies such as proximity, provider training, a migrant-sensitive approach, and data collection to improve vaccination outcomes for NAMs. Conclusion: Ensuring equitable access to healthcare services, including vaccination, is crucial not only from a humanitarian perspective but also for the overall public health of these countries.

Access to cancer preventive care and program considerations for people experiencing homelessness across four European countries: an exploratory qualitative study.

Background: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) have a higher prevalence of adverse health outcomes and premature mortality compared to the non-homeless population. These include a higher burden of cancer and cancer-specific morbidity and mortality-outcomes that may be a consequence of significant barriers to accessing primary and secondary prevention and community health services. This study aimed to better comprehend the health needs and barriers to accessing preventive cancer care for PEH across four European countries as well as necessary considerations for developing interventions around cancer prevention for this population. Methods: In this exploratory qualitative study, 69 semi-structured interviews were conducted across Austria, Greece, Spain, and the UK, with a sample comprising 15 professionals working in homelessness support services, 19 health professionals, and 35 PEH. Interviews took place between August 1 and October 31, 2021, and data were analysed inductively and iteratively following a thematic approach. Findings: Findings were organised into two overarching themes: (1) Experiences and understanding of cancer prevention and treatment and (2) Considerations for program interventions. While cancer was a significant worry among PEH across all settings, they generally had minimal knowledge and understanding of cancer symptoms and prevention. Specific programs for cancer prevention for PEH were described as almost non-existent. Health professionals in some settings indicated that cancer in PEH was often missed in the early stages and instead diagnosed when the severity of symptoms intensified. Interpretation: Overall, our findings indicate many commonalities in the health needs of PEH and the barriers they face when they seek access to cancer-specific healthcare services in the European context. Funding: This study received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under GA 965351.

Essential Skills for Health Communication, Barriers, Facilitators and the Need for Training: Perceptions of Healthcare Professionals from Seven European Countries.

Many healthcare professionals are unaware of the necessary skills and barriers hindering interpersonal health communication. This study aimed to evaluate the healthcare professional's perception regarding health communication training's necessity, barriers, facilitators and critical skills in health communication. Data from a cross-sectional online survey in the framework of the H-Com project were utilized. The study included 691 healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, students and allied health professionals) from seven European countries. Only 57% of participants had participated in health communication training, while 88.1% of them indicated a willingness to be trained in health communication. Nurses were more likely (OR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.16, 2.91) to have received such training, compared to physicians. Most examined communication skills, barriers and facilitators of effective communication, and perceived outcomes of successful communication were considered crucial for most participants, although physicians overall seemed to be less concerned. Most agreed perceived outcomes were improved professional-patient relations, patient and professional satisfaction, physical and psychological health amelioration and patients' trust. Nurses evaluated the importance of these communication skills and communication barriers, facilitators and outcomes higher than physicians. Physicians may underestimate the importance of communication skills more than nurses. Health communication should become an integral part of training for all health professionals.

Using an IT-Based Algorithm for Health Promotion in Temporary Settlements to Improve Migrant and Refugee Health.

The application of the electronic algorithm developed by the Mig-Healthcare project was pilot tested in a sample of migrants and refugees in 2 Reception and Identification Centres (RICs), temporary settlements, in Greece using portable devices. The questions relate to health literacy issues, to mental health, to vaccination history, to lifestyle habits such as smoking, alcohol intake, diet, to the presence of diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, to the use of prevention services and to dental care. A total of 82 adults, 50 women and 32 men, participated. Data analysis showed that 67.1% (55) of the respondents had difficulty in understanding medical information and 57.3% (47) did not know where to seek medical help for a specific health problem. Four main areas of health problems were identified and further action is required: (A) mental health concerns, (B) vaccinations, (C) obesity, and (D) dental hygiene. Direct linkage with the "Roadmap and Toolbox" section of the project's website gave the respondents access to many sources and tools, while through the use of the interactive map, specific referral points of healthcare delivery in their area were identified. IT-based intervention in migrant and refugee populations in Greece are effective in increasing health literacy levels and identifying areas for health promotion interventions in these groups. Through linkage with the project's database, access to healthcare provision points and action to seek appropriate healthcare when necessary are encouraged. Given the attenuated vulnerability profile of people living in temporary settlements, this algorithm can be easily used in primary care settings to improve migrant and refugee health.

Access to Healthcare for Migrant Patients in Europe: Healthcare Discrimination and Translation Services.

BACKGROUND: Discrimination based on ethnicity and the lack of translation services in healthcare have been identified as main barriers to healthcare access. However, the actual experiences of migrant patients in Europe are rarely present in the literature. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess healthcare discrimination as perceived by migrants themselves and the availability of translation services in the healthcare systems of Europe. METHODS: A total of 1407 migrants in 10 European Union countries (consortium members of the Mig-HealthCare project) were surveyed concerning healthcare discrimination, access to healthcare services, and need of translation services using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Migrants in three countries were excluded from the analysis, due to small sample size, and the new sample consisted of N = 1294 migrants. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to investigate the risk factors on perceived healthcare discrimination for migrants and refugees in the EU. RESULTS: Mean age was 32 (±11) years and 816 (63.26%) participants were males. The majority came from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, and Iran. Older migrants reported better treatment experience. Migrants in Italy (0.191; 95% CI [0.029, 0.352]) and Austria (0.167; 95% CI [0.012, 0.323]) scored higher in the Discrimination Scale to Medical Settings (DMS) compared with Spain. Additionally, migrants with better mental health scored lower in the DMS scale (0.994; 95% CI [0.993, 0.996]), while those with no legal permission in Greece tended to perceive more healthcare discrimination compared with migrants with some kind of permission (1.384; 95% CI [1.189, 1.611]), as opposed to Austria (0.763; 95% CI [0.632, 0.922]). Female migrants had higher odds of needing healthcare assistance but not being able to access them compared with males (1.613; 95% CI [1.183, 2.199]). Finally, migrants with chronic problems had the highest odds of needing and not having access to healthcare services compared with migrants who had other health problems (3.292; 95% CI [1.585, 6.837]). CONCLUSIONS: Development of culturally sensitive and linguistically diverse healthcare services should be one of the main aims of relevant health policies and strategies at the European level in order to respond to the unmet needs of the migrant population.

Determinants of Refugee and Migrant Health Status in 10 European Countries: The Mig-HealthCare Project.

In this study, we collect and synthesize information on the health status of the refugee/migrant population in ten European countries in order to map refugee/migrant health needs. With this information, we identify areas of intervention and healthcare system strengthening to provide the basis for future health planning and effective healthcare provision to migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees in the European Union (EU). METHODS: 1407 migrants in ten European Union countries (consortium members of the Mig-HealthCare project) were surveyed on general health, mental health, and specific diseases using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the risk factors on general quality of life for migrants and refugees in the EU. RESULTS: Mean age was 31.9 (±11.05) years and 889 (63.1%) participants were males. The majority came from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, and Iran. Having a mental health disorder or a chronic disease such as a heart or respiratory disease was associated with worse general health. On the other hand, having permission to stay in the country of interview and being interviewed in the country of final destination was associated with better general health. Access to health care services was fragmented or unavailable for some interviewees because of linguistic, cultural, or administrative barriers. CONCLUSIONS: The management of chronic diseases and mental health conditions in European migrants and refugees is a key priority for health service provision. Further efforts should be made to guarantee healthcare access for migrant and refugee populations.

Migrants' and refugees' health status and healthcare in Europe: a scoping literature review.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing attention paid to the arrival of migrants from outwith the EU region to the European countries. Healthcare that is universally and equably accessible needs to be provided for these migrants throughout the range of national contexts and in response to complex and evolving individual needs. It is important to look at the evidence available on provision and access to healthcare for migrants to identify barriers to accessing healthcare and better plan necessary changes. METHODS: This review scoped 77 papers from nine European countries (Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, and Sweden) in English and in country-specific languages in order to provide an overview of migrants' access to healthcare. The review aims at identifying what is known about access to healthcare as well as healthcare use of migrants and refugees in the EU member states. The evidence included documents from 2011 onwards. RESULTS: The literature reviewed confirms that despite the aspiration to ensure equality of access to healthcare, there is evidence of persistent inequalities between migrants and non-migrants in access to healthcare services. The evidence shows unmet healthcare needs, especially when it comes to mental and dental health as well as the existence of legal barriers in accessing healthcare. Language and communication barriers, overuse of emergency services and underuse of primary healthcare services as well as discrimination are described. CONCLUSIONS: The European situation concerning migrants' and refugees' health status and access to healthcare is heterogeneous and it is difficult to compare and draw any firm conclusions due to the scant evidence. Different diseases are prioritised by different countries, although these priorities do not always correspond to the expressed needs or priorities of the migrants. Mental healthcare, preventive care (immunization) and long-term care in the presence of a growing migrant older population are identified as priorities that deserve greater attention. There is a need to improve the existing data on migrants' health status, needs and access to healthcare to be able to tailor care to the needs of migrants. To conduct research that highlights migrants' own views on their health and barriers to access to healthcare is key.

Health Literacy in the Everyday Lives of Older Adults in Greece, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

Health literacy (HL) encompasses someone's knowledge and abilities to access and use health information in order to make appropriate health decisions in life. HL is particularly valuable in later life when health challenges grow. An individual's HL is typically considered a fixed and skills-based characteristic, without taking into account how these are situated in the context of everyday life. Also, lay perspectives on health literacy are relatively scarce. Therefore, the aim of this article is to explore the context-specific perspectives of older adults and health professionals on HL in later life in Greece, Hungary, and the Netherlands. We adopted a qualitative methodology and conducted 12 focus groups: seven with 50 older adults and five with 30 health professionals to gain insight into individual perspectives on HL as situated in the health care and everyday life contexts. An informed grounded theory approach was used in analyzing the data. The results are structured in three themes: (1) interactions with health professionals, (2) perceived quality of the health care system, and (3) managing health in the context of everyday life. An overarching finding is that, for older adults, HL reflects the demands placed on them when managing their health. In the experience of older adults, these demands are placed upon them by healthcare professionals, the healthcare system, as well as their everyday lives. Our findings underscore the importance of Critical Health Literacy (CHL) as that concept foregrounds that HL is context specific. Also, CHL has been argued to be a community characteristic, which is why we call for community-based approaches to improve HL.

Policy Makers', NGO, and Healthcare Workers' Accounts of Migrants' and Refugees' Healthcare Access Across Europe-Human Rights and Citizenship Based Claims.

Freely available healthcare, universally accessible to the population of citizens, is a key ideal for European welfare systems. As labor migration of the twentieth century gave way to the globalized streams of the twenty-first century, new challenges to fulfilling these ideals have emerged. The principle of freedom of movement, together with large-scale forced migration have led to large scale movements of people, making new demands on European healthcare systems which had previously been largely focused on meeting sedentary local populations' needs. Drawing on interviews with service providers working for NGOs and public healthcare systems and with policy makers across 10 European countries, this paper considers how forced migrants' healthcare needs are addressed by national health systems, with factors hindering access at organizational and individual level in particular focus. The ways in which refugees' and migrants' healthcare access is prevented are considered in terms of claims based on citizenship and on the human right to health and healthcare. Where claims based on citizenship are denied and there is no means of asserting the human right to health, migrants are caught in a new form of inequality.

Ten Lessons for Good Practice for the INHERIT Triple Win: Health, Equity, and Environmental Sustainability.

The world's challenges of climate change, damage to ecosystems, and social and health inequalities require changes in human behaviours at every level of organisation, among governments, business, communities, and individuals. An important question is how behaviour change can be enabled and supported at the scale and speed required. The research reported in this paper describes important lessons for good practice in changing contexts to modify behaviours for a triple win for health, equity and environmental sustainability. Authors synthesised learning from qualitative, quantitative and cost benefit evaluations of 15 case studies conducted in 12 countries in Europe. The case studies address ways of living (green spaces and energy efficient housing), moving (active transport) and consuming (healthy and sustainable diets) that support the triple win. Ten lessons for good practice were identified. These include bringing a triple win mindset to policy and practice in planning interventions, with potential to improve environmental sustainability, health and equity at the same time. The lessons for good practice are intended to support governmental and non-governmental actors, practitioners and researchers planning to work across sectors to achieve mutual benefits for health and environmental sustainability and in particular to benefit poorer and more socio-economically disadvantaged groups.

Lifestyle E-Coaching for Physical Activity Level Improvement: Short-Term and Long-Term Effectivity in Low Socioeconomic Status Groups.

E-coaching applications can improve people's lifestyles; however, their impact on people from a lower socioeconomic status (low SES) is unknown. This study investigated the effectiveness of a lifestyle e-coaching application in encouraging people facing low SES disadvantages to engage in a more active lifestyle over a course of 19 weeks. In this bicountry study, 95 people with low activity level (GR: 50, NL: 45) used a mobile application linked to a wearable activity tracker. At the start and after 6 and 19 weeks, self-reported physical activity levels, attitudes, and intention towards increasing activity levels, perceived behavioral control, and wellbeing were measured. Results indicated that participants using the lifestyle e-coaching application reported significantly more often an increase in activity levels than a parallel control group. Additionally, the people using the application also more often reported increased levels of wellbeing and perceived behavioral control. Therefore, lifestyle e-coaching applications could be a cost-effective solution for promoting healthier lifestyles in low-SES populations.

Urban Green Space: Creating a Triple Win for Environmental Sustainability, Health, and Health Equity through Behavior Change.

Urbanization, costs of green space maintenance, and diminishing connection between people and nature all exert pressures on urban green space. This is regrettable as green space has the potential to create wins for environmental sustainability, health, and health equity. This paper explores this potential triple win and investigates how to increase the use of urban green space through behavior change. A narrative literature review was conducted and was supplemented with literature suggested by experts. Results show that creating well-designed green spaces and stimulating people to use them can indeed deliver this triple win. Providing accessible, attractive, well-maintained green space with room for socialization, and where people feel safe, may increase the opportunity and motivation of people to use it more often. Informing and educating people and organizing activities may increase capability (and motivation) to use green space. Since the use of green space depends on life stage, lifestyle factors and individual values, it is important to involve potential users in its design. We recommend a specific focus on those groups who may benefit most from the use of green space. More evaluation is needed to inform effective green space interventions and to assess related economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Immunization related behaviour among healthcare workers in Europe: Results of the HProImmune survey.

OBJECTIVES: Vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) continue to pose a significant threat to healthcare workers (HCWs) while immunization among this group remains low. HCWs' behaviours as well as facilitators and barriers towards their vaccination for a number of VPDs were explored through an EU-wide survey. METHODS: HCWs across the EU answered online survey that explored attitudes and behaviours towards vaccination for a number of VPDs. Response data were adjusted based on weights estimated by HCWs' country and working profession according to WHO statistics. The survey was delivered between October 2012 and April 2014. RESULTS: Analysis was based on responses from 5,424 HCWs from 14 European countries. The majority (86.7%) had a positive attitude regarding immunizations. HCWs considered influenza (86.4%), viral hepatitis type B (71.9%) and tuberculosis (59.1%) as higher risk diseases for occupational exposure in the workplace. However, 43.8% reported not receiving a seasonal influenza vaccine in the last 10 years and 65.6% reported not receiving the pandemic influenza vaccine in 2009. Main enablers towards immunizations included believing in vaccine protection and easy, free of charge access to vaccines in the workplace. Barriers to up-to-date immunizations differed according to disease but included concerns about short- and long-term effects. CONCLUSION: Although the concept of mandatory vaccination seems to be favoured by many health professionals in Europe, it remains a controversial subject both among HCWs' profession categories and also among different countries. Interventions to increase vaccination among HCWs would benefit by tailoring their approach according to disease and target group.

Promotion of Immunizations for Health Professionals in Europe: A Qualitative Study in Seven European Member States.

Health Care Workers (HCWs) are a high-risk group for contracting Vaccine-Preventable Diseases who, despite legislation and guidance, remain undervaccinated. In order to understand their barriers and needs, focus groups were formed with 278 physicians, nurses, infection-control personnel, and policy-makers in 7 EU MS. Several implications for the development of promotional initiatives were identified including the need to overcome organizational barriers, to sensitize HCWs about the importance of immunization and to provide specific up-to-date information about vaccinations covering prevalence of diseases, protection years, side effects, administration times, antibody examinations, costs and immunization settings.

Promotion of healthy nutrition among students participating in a school food aid program: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential benefits on students' eating habits, of incorporating healthy nutrition education as part of a school food aid program. METHODS: 146 schools participating in the DIATROFI Program in Greece during the 2013-2014 school year were randomly allocated to the environmental intervention (received a healthy daily meal) and the multicomponent intervention (MI) group (in addition to the meal, a healthy nutrition educational program was applied). The analysis, based on 3627 pre-post intervention questionnaire pairs, was stratified for children (ages 4-11 years) and adolescents (ages 12-18 years). RESULTS: Children participating in the MI group displayed 25 % higher odds of increasing the weekly consumption of milk/yoghurt and fruits, 61 % higher odds of improving BMI from overweight/obese to normal and 2.5 times higher odds of improving from underweight to normal. For adolescents in the MI group, the odds of increasing the consumption of vegetables were 40 % higher. In both intervention groups, approximately one in four overweight/obese adolescents reached normal weight. CONCLUSIONS: Educational programs on healthy nutrition might be considered worth implementing in the framework of school food aid programs.