Healthcare-Experience Survey Assessment in the Rhode Island Cambodian Community

AbstractThe Cambodian community is the largest Southeast Asian cultural identity in Rhode Island (RI) with high poverty rates and limited healthcare access. Investigators conducted a cross-sectional observational survey study from 2016 to 2017 on eligible Cambodians to better understand their healthcare experiences. Questions were reviewed by the RI Cambodian Society for cultural sensitivity. 123 surveys were collected; 98 respondents had medical providers. Respondents with providers reported difficulty understanding of their providers (59%) and limited access to medical interpreters (50%). The non-provider group were less likely to have medical insurance (54.2% vs. 88.8%, p  = .0001) and more likely to visit the emergency department (47.1% vs. 15.3%; p <  .0001). Language barrier and lack of medical interpreters and healthcare insurance were the major barriers to healthcare for surveyed Cambodians. Future studies are needed to assess whether native-language specific community healthcare resources can positively affect their access to care.
Source: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research