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Transnational Healthcare as Process: multiplicity and directionality in the engagements with healthcare among Polish migrants in the UK

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Abstract

Drawing on a mix-methods study comprised of an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, this article presents findings about the complexity and development in time of health service use by Polish migrants living in the United Kingdom. The article contributes to the analysis of transnational healthcare practices by operationalizing a framework that considers service access within and beyond national borders, and between private and public sectors. By categorizing engagements with healthcare providers based on their occurrence in time it argues for an understanding of transnational healthcare as a process. It finds that Polish migrants manage their health by accessing a variety of different providers. This complexity is also reflected in the multiple ways in which access to services with regards to specific health issues unfolds in time. By focusing the analysis on specific health issues rather than individuals the article finds that multiple ways to access healthcare services coexist for the same participant, who does not necessarily move towards particular healthcare providers unitarily, but adopts ad hoc solutions on the basis of their experiences within specific medical areas. Understanding migrants' patterns of accessing healthcare can contribute to more effective policy solutions supporting migrants in the UK today.

Acceptance Date Jun 6, 2021
Publication Date Jun 21, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Print ISSN 1369-183X
Publisher Routledge
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2021.1941820
Keywords transnational healthcare, transnationalism, time, migration, Poland, United Kingdom
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2021.1941820

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