Purpose: To describe the experiences and attitudes of Albanian immigrants toward health care in Albania versus the United Stated (USA).
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive survey using venue sampling was administered at the Albanian Festival in Worcester on June 5-7, 2015. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS.
Results: There were a total of 146 subjects eligible for analysis. Most subjects were female (52.7%) and the mean subject age was 41.6 with a range of 18-77 years old. Subjects moved to the USA at a mean age of 28.8 years with a range of 1-66 years old. Subjects have lived in the USA for a mean of 12.9 years, with a range of 3 months to 28 years. Categorical response items comparing health care in Albania versus the USA were statistically significant in favor of the USA health care system regarding comfort seeking care, care worth money, receiving preventative care, and having good communication with the doctor. Subgroup analysis of males vs. females showed a significant finding only on females receiving more preventative care. Continuous response items comparing health care in Albania versus the USA were statistically significant in favor of the USA health care system regarding the patient liking care received and trusting the doctors. Content analysis of the open-ended comments showed positive and negative perceptions of both health care systems.
Conclusions: Our results show that Albanian Immigrants have an overwhelming positive experience and attitude toward the USA health care system in all categories including comfort seeking care, care being worth the money, having good communication with the doctor, trusting the doctors, receiving preventative care, and liking care received. These finding are important because they show that even though Albanian immigrants are exposed to under-funded and corrupt medical care in Albania, the majority does not allow this experience to influence the interaction with USA health care professionals. The findings from this study are applicable to the clinical setting in the USA and some recommendations can be made to USA health care providers about how to best approach Albanian immigrant patients.https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/capstones/1001/thumbnail.jp
