Access to healthcare services and factors associated with unmet needs among migrants in Phuket Province, Thailand, 2023: a cross-sectional mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND

Phuket Province is a major tourist destination with a migrant workforce accounting for 10% of its population. Despite governmental efforts to adjust health insurance policies, migrants face healthcare access challenges. This study examines the current healthcare access situation and factors associated with unmet needs among migrants in Phuket Province.

METHODS

We used a cross-sectional mixed-methods approach, recruiting participants through snowball sampling from the Migrant Health Volunteer Network. Quantitative data were gathered using self-administered questionnaires, with unmet need defined as desired outpatient or recommended inpatient services not received at government hospitals. Multivariable logistic regression identified unmet need predictors, and we assessed the mediating effect of health insurance status. Qualitative data from three focus groups on healthcare access provided context and enriched the quantitative findings.

RESULTS

This study includes 296 migrants mainly from Myanmar. The overall unmet need prevalence was 14.86%, mainly attributed to having undocumented status (34.09%), affordability issues (20.45%), and language barriers (18.18%). Working in the fishery industry significantly increased unmet needs risk (aOR 2.68, 95% CI 1.08-6.62). Undocumented status contributed a marginal total effect of 4.86 (95% CI 1.62-14.54), with a natural indirect effect through uninsured status of only 1.16 (95% CI 0.88-1.52). Focus group participants used various medical resources, with insured individuals preferring hospital care, but faced obstacles due to undocumented status and language barriers.

CONCLUSION

Valid legal documents, including work permits and visas, are crucial for healthcare access. Attention to fishery industry practices is needed. We recommend stakeholder discussions to streamline the process of obtaining and maintaining these documents for migrant workers. These improvements could enhance health insurance acquisition and ultimately improve healthcare affordability for this population. These insights could be applied to migrant workers in other urban and suburban area of Thailand regarding access to government healthcare facilities.