Centre for Private Governance, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Karen Blixens Pl. 16, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health, Section for Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Health Policy. 2023 Oct;136:104893. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104893. Epub 2023 Aug 25.
In 2018, a fee for healthcare interpretation was introduced for immigrants living in Denmark for more than 3 years to incentivize learning Danish faster. Little is known about who is affected and how immigrants experience impacts of the fee. Using survey data from 2021 (n = 486), we analysed prevalence and socio-demographic background of immigrants reporting interpretation needs, and self-reports about whether the fee had impacted their access to healthcare. In the study population, 19% (n = 95) reported interpretation needs. Refugees and their families (OR: 10.2) more often reported interpretation need compared with EU/EEA immigrants, as did immigrants with low education (OR: 1.86), low income (OR: 2.63) or poor self-perceived health (OR: 3.18), adjusted for gender, age, region of residence and length of stay. among immigrants needing interpretation, 42% (n = 69) reported having refrained from seeking healthcare due to the fee, 73% (n = 119) using ad hoc interpreters, and 77% (n = 126) trying to learn Danish faster. Findings suggest that the policy aim of incentivizing host country language acquisition is partly met, but that the fee has unintended consequences in terms of hampered access to healthcare and increased use of ad hoc interpreters, raising concerns about unmet health needs and poorer quality of care for a substantial group. Potential benefits of the policy should be carefully evaluated against severe negative impacts on immigrants' access to healthcare.
2018 年，丹麦向居住时间超过 3 年的移民引入医疗口译收费，以激励他们更快地学习丹麦语。目前尚不清楚谁受到了影响，以及移民对收费的影响有何感受。本研究利用 2021 年的调查数据（n=486），分析了报告有口译需求的移民的流行率和社会人口学背景，以及报告收费是否影响他们获得医疗保健的自我报告。在研究人群中，19%（n=95）报告有口译需求。与欧盟/欧洲经济区移民相比，难民及其家属（OR：10.2）更常报告有口译需求，教育程度较低（OR：1.86）、收入较低（OR：2.63）或自我感知健康状况较差（OR：3.18）的移民也是如此，调整了性别、年龄、居住地区和居住时间。在需要口译的移民中，42%（n=69）因收费而避免寻求医疗保健，73%（n=119）使用临时口译员，77%（n=126）试图更快地学习丹麦语。研究结果表明，该政策鼓励移民学习东道国语言的目的在一定程度上得到了实现，但该收费政策导致获得医疗保健的机会受到阻碍，并增加了临时口译员的使用，这引起了人们对未满足的健康需求以及大量移民的护理质量下降的担忧。应仔细评估该政策的潜在益处与对移民获得医疗保健的严重负面影响。
