Utilisation of Australian health care services by ethnic Chinese.
Australia is a multicultural society in which migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds may be more vulnerable to illness after their new settlement, and language difficulties and cultural differences may affect their use of health services. The present qualitative study used focus group interviews to explore the health services used by Chinese migrants from Hong Kong and China. The general findings included strong preference for Chinese-speaking general practitioners, insufficient interpreter services, low use of preventive services, and lack of knowledge about the existence and role of ethnic health workers. The paper reports specific differences between migrants from China and Hong Kong, and by age group. It discusses reasons for these findings and notes the implications.
Chan
Y F
YF
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
Quine
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000208:ethnology; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*