Self-rated health and health problems of undocumented immigrant women in the Netherlands: a descriptive study.

In this descriptive study, 100 female undocumented immigrants aged > or =18 years were interviewed about their health condition. The objective was to gain insight into the health situation and specific health problems of undocumented women. Sixty-five per cent of these undocumented women rated their health as 'poor' (moderate or bad) and 91 per cent spontaneously mentioned having current health problems. When provided with a list of 26 common health problems, subjects reported on average 11.1 complaints. Gynaecological and psychological complaints were very prevalent, but seldom mentioned spontaneously. Also obstetric problems were numerous. Undocumented women may not present important symptoms to physicians when they encounter them. We conclude that physicians should actively ask about psychological and gynaecological problems in this patient group. Special training on the health problems of undocumented female immigrants for health providers is recommended.

Patient-held records for undocumented immigrants: a blind spot. A systematic review of patient-held records.

OBJECTIVE: As a result of inadequate medical record information, the medical care for undocumented immigrants in general practice is time consuming and often unsatisfactory. The availability of medical record information might improve the medical care for undocumented immigrants. Therefore, we executed a systematic review of literature to investigate the potential benefits of a patient-held record (PHR) for undocumented immigrants. DESIGN: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCH info and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews. Search terms were: patient-held medical records, client-held medical records, PHRs, client-held records, home-based medical record, medical passport and/or illegal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants. Inclusion criteria were: information on patient and/or doctors compliance of PHRs OR information about views of patient and/or doctors on PHRs and age over 18 years. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of the selected articles. RESULTS: No studies were found about undocumented immigrants and PHRs. Therefore, we decided to eliminate the search terms illegal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants, and perform a broader search about the use of PHRs in general. This search yielded 61 articles; 42 articles were excluded. Sixteen articles were screened for methodological quality: seven articles met the criteria, six quantitative studies and one qualitative study. In these studies the use and appreciation of PHRs by patients is satisfactory. The use and appreciation of the PHRs by physicians in the studies is lower than the use by patients. The most important obstacle for physicians is the time investment required. CONCLUSION: A PHR for undocumented immigrants seems to be appropriate because in most cases there is no other record available. However, the uncertainty of our findings is considerable. Therefore, we recommend a pilot evaluation of the use of PHRs for undocumented immigrants. In addition, a qualitative approach might be useful to solicit the views of undocumented immigrants and health care workers.

Case finding for pulmonary tuberculosis, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

SETTING: Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the investigation of patients with cough who attend out-patient services and the adherence to recommended diagnostic protocols. DESIGN: Two operational studies in 1995: 1) an audit of management of patients presenting to non-fee-paying out-patient services (OPD) with cough, and 2) an audit of the laboratory sputum register and the OPD cough register. The annual number of out-patient attendances was also recorded. RESULTS: Of 2381 patients seen by OPD medical assistants, 438 (18.4%) complained of cough: 303 for < 3 weeks and 135 for > or = 3 weeks. Sputum smear examinations were requested in 97 patients, 79 (58.5%) with long duration and 18 (5.9%) with short duration of cough. Between May and December 1995, of the 1668 OPD patients who had sputum results in the laboratory register, 1392 (83%) had sputum results in the cough register. Of patients listed in the cough register, 98% collected their sputum smear results. In 1995, there were 395,439 OPD attendances; data extrapolation suggests that about 15,000 patients should have had sputum examined instead of the 2337 listed in the laboratory register. CONCLUSION: A large burden is imposed on out-patient services by patients with cough. Despite recommended protocols, this investigation suggests deficiencies in case detection which require further study.