Physicians' experiences of providing emergency care to undocumented migrants arriving in Spain by small boats

INTRODUCTION

Access to emergency care for undocumented migrants (UMs) is a public health problem. Spain receives thousands of UMs who arrive by sea. A multidisciplinary team of the Spanish Red Cross, made up of physicians, nurses, police, and cultural mediators, developed emergency care for UMs.

AIM

The aim of our study is to describe and understand the experiences of physicians in emergency care for UMs who arrive in Spain by small boats METHODS: Qualitative study, based on Gadamer's phenomenology. Convenience and purposive sampling was carried out and included sixteen in-depth interviews with physicians, between June 2019 and March 2020 in Spain.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: 1) Rediscovering humanistic medicine; 2) Leaving the personal and professional comfort zone; 3) Improving medical emergency care.

CONCLUSIONS

Triage, pharmacological prescription, and the closure of the emergency care process are the key contributions of medical care. Cultural, language and security barriers make emergency care difficult.

Social Support in Patients With Sexual Dysfunction After Non-Nerve-Sparing Radical Prostatectomy: A Qualitative Study

This study aimed to explore men's experiences of social support after non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. A qualitative study based on Gadamer's hermeneutic phenomenology was designed. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 men who had undergone a non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. Data analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti software. From this analysis, two main themes emerged: "The partner as a source of support and conflict after a prostatectomy," which includes empathetic reconnection with the partner and changes in sexual and cohabitation patterns and "The importance of social and professional circles," which addresses the shortcomings of the healthcare system in terms of sexual information and counseling as well as the role of friends within social support. The study suggests the need to establish interventions that address interpersonal communication and attention to social and informational support and include both the patient and those closest to them.

Emergency Care for Women Irregular Migrants Who Arrive in Spain by Small Boat: A Qualitative Study

Background: this study aimed to describe and understand the experiences and health needs of women irregular migrants during emergency care provision upon arrival in Spain by small boat. Methods: a qualitative study based on Gadamer’s phenomenology was used. The data collection included 13 in-depth interviews with women irregular migrants and 10 in-depth interviews with key informants. The study took place in the Spanish Red Cross’ facilities between February 2017 and April 2018. Results: two main themes emerged from the data analysis: the need for emergency care focused on women irregular migrants with the sub-themes ‘Women irregular migrants as objects of sexual exploitation’ and ‘The mother-child dyad as the axis in human trafficking’; and developing an emergency care gender policy for women irregular migrants, with the subthemes ‘Healthcare in a police-controlled setting: detecting weaknesses’ and ‘Promoting screening and safety protocols focused on women irregular migrants’. Conclusions: women irregular migrants who arrive in Spain by small boat have specific needs and healthcare problems. Due to strict safety conditions during emergency care provision, rape and human trafficking can go unnoticed. Implications: interdisciplinary care protocols and new health policies that have a gender perspective are needed to improve the emergency care provided to women irregular migrants.

[Cultural differences in the food preferences of school population]

OBJECTIVE

The combination of cultures can affect the feeding of the native population and immigrant, influencing the school population. The objective of this study was to analyze the habits and eating habits of schoolchildren and the relationships with their cultural environment.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study of a representative sample of 325 parents and students of primary school of an Almeria population was conducted. For the analysis of the qualitative variables Chi square was applied and for the quantitative ones, U of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis was applied.

RESULTS

The results showed a higher preference for vegetables in girls (42.22%) than in boys (30.34%). In schoolchildren who did not go to the school canteen, vegetable consumption was higher (pieces of vegetable Me=2,15), preference for dairy products 94.4% and fish 89.8%. Although 45.6% of children, whose parents came from North Africa, reported not having tasted pork, 29.4% were satisfied with this type of food. We observed a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables in children whose parents came from North Africa (pieces of fruit Me=3,42 and pieces of vegetable Me=2,38, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Through this study we observed a higher consumption of vegetables and higher preferences for dairy and fish in schoolchildren who did not go to the school canteen. Likewise, it was possible to observe an incipient change in the food patterns of the population from North Africa influenced by culture of the native population, referring to the consumption of pork. In general, the results showed a greater variety of consumption, in the children of foreign parents.