PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Background Compared to the majority population, migrants who utilize rehabilitation are on average less satisfied with their care and show less favourable treatment outcomes. Amongst others, this is related to the poor cultural sensitivity of health care facilities. Moreover, unfulfilled health care expectations regarding the design of rehabilitation services can result in migrants utilizing rehabilitative services with reservations and only for advanced stages of their diseases and can also affect the rehabilitation process. Little is known about the expectations migrants have towards health care and about how these expectations change in the course of rehabilitation. The aim of the present study was to examine health care expectations of Turkish migrants across the rehabilitation process.Method The study is based on in-depth interviews with 32 Turkish migrants in three different phases of the rehabilitation process. Interviews were conducted in five rehabilitation facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Qualitative content analysis was used as the method of analysis.Results The health care expectations of migrant patients vary greatly from person to person. Interviewees expected the rehabilitation to improve their health situation, to reduce pain and assist recovery. In addition, patients requested individual treatment and intensive medical care during rehabilitation. Patients change their expectations towards health care during the rehabilitation process. However, they considered their expectations to be not or only partially fulfilled, which they attributed, amongst others, to inadequate medical care during rehabilitation.Conclusion The study reveals diverse expectations of migrants with regard to rehabilitation which can be explained by the heterogeneity of this population group. The results of this study reveal potentials and starting points for the further development of rehabilitative care in a diverse society, for which diversity-sensitive instruments can make a valuable contribution.