Medicine without borders: challenges of the immigrant population
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v38i3.13198Keywords:
Emigration and immigration, Healthcare disparitiesAbstract
Migration is a phenomenon that is globally growing and that is also seen in Portugal. During the migration process, people overcome various transitions that can trigger off unbalance and enhance health problems. Immigrants are at particular risk of suffering disparities in healthcare accessibility and medical treatment opportunities because of multiple factors. The growing migrant population demands are a challenge for healthcare systems. This is a heterogeneous group with distinct characteristics, therefore cultural competences are essential for the clinical practice of family physicians that increasingly face a more culturally diverse population. In this paper, we intend to focus on immigrant population particularities, comprehend the biggest challenges in their approach, and review strategies that improve their accessibility and healthcare, based on patient-centered medicine.
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