J Korean Acad Nurs Adm.  2012 Jun;18(2):137-145.

Key Elements for the Improvement of Healthcare Services for Foreigners in Korea: A Delphi Study

Affiliations
  • 1Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University, Korea.
  • 2College of Nursing, Keimyung University, Korea. lbs@kmu.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was performed to identify the key elements for the improvement of healthcare services for foreigners in Korea. METHOD: Delphi technique was used for this study. As the members of an expert panel for this study, 32 healthcare professionals, who were physicians, nurses, administrators, and care coordinators, with at least 6 months of experiences in international clinics and healthcare services in five metropolitan areas in Korea participated. Data collections were conducted three times from August to October, 2009. The priority and the importance were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS Win 15.0. RESULT: The key element selected most frequently by the experts was the 'Healthcare providers' abilities for foreign languages' followed by 'Guidelines for facing medical accidences and disputes', 'Information and guide for healthcare services written in English', ''Informed consent preventing medical disputes', 'System of healthcare service fees for foreigners'.
CONCLUSIONS
The key elements for the improvement of healthcare services for foreigners in Korea were mostly the requirements for effective communication with the foreign clients and the systemic support. The key elements identified in this study can be applied usefully for the development of strategies to improve the quality of healthcare services for foreigners.

Keyword

Healthcare; Foreigner

MeSH Terms

Administrative Personnel
Delivery of Health Care
Delphi Technique
Emigrants and Immigrants
Fees and Charges
Humans
Korea
Quality of Health Care

Reference

1. Asako S. Developing a culturally competent health care workforce in Japan: Implications for education. Nursing Education Perspectives. 2007. 28(3):140–144.
2. Roh SY. Delphi Technique: Predicting future through professional insight. Planning and Policy. 2006. 299:53–62.
3. Jang YS, Shin CN. A study of characteristics of patient at international clinic of university hospital. Korean Public Health Research. 2005. 31(1):46–54.
4. Jensen NK, Nielsen SS, Krasnik A. Expert opinion on "best practices" in the delivery of health care services to immigrants in Denmark. Danish Medical Bulletin. 2010. 57(8):A4170.
5. Kennedy HP. Enhancing Delphi research: Methods and results. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2004. 45(5):504–511.
Article
6. Kim JS. Survey of services provided by Non-Governmental organizations for foreign workers. Korean Public Health Researches. 2004. 30(1):24–35.
7. Kim AR. The evaluation of the health status of migrant workers. 1997. Daegu: Kyungpook National University;Unpublished master's thesis.
8. Kong GS. Medical utilization by foreigners in Korea. 2000. Seoul: Yonsei University;Unpublished master's thesis.
9. Leduc N, Proulx M. Patterns of Health Services Utilization by Recent Immigrants. Journal of Immigrant Health. 2004. 6(1):15–27.
Article
10. Lee B, Ko Z. Study on Conditions and Problems of the Medical Services(The Health and Medical Care) for the Foreign Workers. Han Yang Law Review. 2010. 31:323–352.
11. Lee BS, Oh IK, Lee EM. Foreign residents' experience of Korean health care services. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration. 2011. 17(2):226–237.
Article
12. Lee EJ. Activation of Mobile Medical Services for Migrant Workers. 2002. Seoul: Kyunghee University;Unpublished master's thesis.
13. Mendoza FS. Health disparities and children in immigrant families: a research agenda. Pediatrics. 2009. 124:Suppl 3. S187–S195.
Article
14. Medical Law. National Archives of Korea. 2009. 01. 30. Retrieved April 26, 2012. from http://contents.archives.go.kr/next/content/listSubjectDescription.do?id=001497&pageFlag=A.
15. Oxman-Martinez J, Hanley J, Lach L, Khanlou N, Weerasinghe S, Agnew V. ntersection of Canadian Policy Parameters Affecting Women with Precarious Immigration Status: A Baseline for Understanding Barriers to Health. Journal of Immigrant Health. 2005. 7(4):247–258.
Article
16. Ruppen W, Bandschapp O, Urwyler A. Language difficulties in outpatients and their impact on a chronic pain unit in Northwest Switzerland. Swiss Medical Weekly. 2010. 140(17-18):260–264.
17. Shin H, Song H, Kim J, Probst JC. Insurance, Acculturation, and Health Service Utilization Among Korean-Americans. Journal of Immigrant Health. 2005. 7(2):65–74.
Article
18. Skulmoski GJ, Hareman FT, Krahn J. The Delphi Method for Graduate Research. Journal of Information Technology Education. 2007. 6:1–21.
19. Thompson M. Considering the implication of variations within Delphi research. Family Practice. 2009. 26(5):420–424.
Article
20. Wang S. Comparative study of hospital service quality, loyalty and patient satisfaction between Korean and Chinese hospitals. 2009. Seoul: Sejong University;Unpublished master's thesis.
21. Yeo O. A study on the medical service increment for the foreign laborers. 2003. Seoul: Dongguk University;Unpublished master's thesis.
22. Yeo S. Language barriers and access to care. Annual Review of Nursing Research. 2004. 22:59–73.
Article
Full Text Links
  • JKANA
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr