Table 3.
Main findings of the study
| Access to ER care |
| • ER physicians reported no difference in admission or treatment of undocumented migrants |
| • Lack of access to previous medical records was a problem for ER physicians |
| • Delay in treatment seeking implied that undocumented migrants presented with more advanced disease |
| • Providing treatment for undocumented migrants increased the administrative work. |
| Access to GP care |
| • Lack of formal entitlements to primary care made access more difficult |
| • If the general practitioner agreed to treat the undocumented migrant, there was no difference in the services they offer in their own clinic |
| • Referral pathways are more complicated for undocumented migrants e.g. only access to external diagnostic facilities at the ER |
| • Follow-up was problematic due to lack of continuity of care for undocumented migrants. |
| Language issues |
| • Diagnosing was complicated due to language problems |
| • Language barriers made it difficult for the health professional to provide psychosocial support to the undocumented migrant. |
| Strategies for solving financial issues for GPs |
| • GP covered expenses of treatment |
| • GP offered treatment at a charge. |
| Uncertainty of the health professionals |
| • GPs were uncertain concerning hospital admission of undocumented migrants |
| • GPs were uncertain about whether they could prescribe medicine because the undocumented migrant had no social security number |
| • The encounter with undocumented migrants could evoke unpleasant feelings in GPs |
| • Health professionals did not know whether they were obliged to report undocumented migrants to the police. |
| Involvement of police or other authorities |
| • Health professionals choose to focus solely on the medical problem of the undocumented migrant |
| • Health professionals would report the undocumented migrant to the police only when they suspected a serious crime was involved |
| • ER physicians would contact the police only if it was necessary for identification of the undocumented migrant or relatives in the case of a fatal outcome of treatment. |