Contacts of general practitioners with illegal immigrants.
OBJECTIVE
Violence and economic hardship cause many people to go to industrialized countries, often without obtaining a residence permit. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the factors that determine the occurrence of contacts in primary health care with such illegal immigrants.


METHODS
Data were analysed on contacts with illegal immigrants from a national survey among Dutch general practitioners (GPs) (n = 1,148; response: 62%).


RESULTS
GPs reported that they have on average 0.74 patient contacts with an illegal immigrant per week (95% CI: 0.56-0.92). This probably includes some over-reporting. Contacts are more likely in practices and communities that comprise more non-Dutch-born people and more (patients with) typically urban health problems. Working experience and demography of the GP are not independently associated with the occurrence of contacts.


CONCLUSIONS
Contacts of Dutch GPs with illegal immigrants mostly occur in the deprived areas of the big cities.
Reijneveld
S
S
TNO (Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research), Institute of Prevention and Health, Department of Public Health, Leiden. SA.Reijneveld@pg.tno.nl
Verheij
R
R
van Herten
L
L
de Bakker
D
D
D000328:Adult; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020793:Gatekeeping; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009819:Office Visits; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014504:Urban Health