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Moussawi, Mohamad

Nursing

2012

MS

The health care experiences of refugees are well documented in the literature; however male refugees' experiences' are not well studied. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to explore and describe the experiences of Iraqi male refugees regarding healthcare services in a New England state. Interviews were conducted with three participants who were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. The inclusion criteria included being male 25 year or older who has lived in this state for at least one year, and has seen provider within that timeframe. The three themes that emerged were navigating healthcare services, barriers or issues with healthcare, and the role of healthcare providers. A surprising finding was that according to these participants, the providers' cultural awareness was not a determinant factor for good healthcare delivery outcomes. Participants expressed confusion over the roles of primary care and providers. They also perceived language barrier as a major determinant of healthcare. Participants and providers need to improve health literacy and increase awareness of this specific population of patients.