Under what circumstances can immigrant patients and healthcare professionals co-produce health? - an interpretive scoping review

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Immigrant patients run a risk of receiving lower quality of care. Co-production, as the concept of how to collaboratively create valuable healthcare service for the patient, offers a new perspective that might help. The scoping review aimed at identifying and analysing factors facilitating co-production between immigrant patients and healthcare professionals.

Methods

We searched seven scientific databases for peer-reviewed publications of all study designs. Two reviewers independently screened the publications for eligibility and performed data extraction. Data were analysed by applying an inductive, interpretive approach for data synthesis.

Results

Fifteen publications were included for analysis. We identified six factors hat facilitate co-production: 1) prioritizing co-production in the organization, 2) providing a safe environment that promotes trust and patience, 3) using a language the patient understands, 4) respecting the patient’s knowledge and priorities, 5) improvising with knowledge and courage, and 6) engaging in self-reflection.

Conclusions

The scoping review illustrated that co-production with immigrant patients can be successful if the system and professionals are interested and prepared. Immigrant patients could be a valuable source of information and powerful co-producers of their own health. The study contributed to a growing body of research on patient-professional co-production in healthcare and might also prove relevant for other disadvantaged patient groups.

KEYWORDS:

• Co-production
• immigrant patient
• refugee patient
• healthcare service
• culturally competent care
• patient-provider relationship
• person-centred care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted at and funded by the OPEN Odense Patient data Explorative Network [OP_821] at the Odense University Hospital, Region of Southern Denmark.

Notes on contributors

Christina Radl-Karimi

Christina Radl-Karimi, MScPH with a specialization in Health Promotion and Prevention and experience in coordinating integration initiatives with immigrants and refugees. Currently she is doing her PhD on the co-production of healthcare services with immigrant patients.

Anne Nicolaisen

Anne Nicolaisen, MSci and PhD in health sciences at University of Southern Denmark with special interest in user perspectives, coproduction and cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary coordination.

Morten Sodemann

Morten Sodemann, professor of global and migrant health at the Center for Global Health/University of Southern Denmark and head of The Migrant Health Clinic at Odense University Hospital. Involved in demographic health surveillance, health systems research and post-conflict research in Guiné-Bissau, Tanzania and Uganda.

Paul Batalden

Paul Batalden, emeritus professor at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice; Guest Professor, Jönköping Academy for the Improvement of Health and Welfare. Currently teaches and co-facilitates international communities of practice for coproduction of healthcare service, value creation and professional development.

Christian von Plessen

Christian von Plessen, associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark with a research interest in co-production, quality improvement and patient safety. He is senior advisor for quality and safety to the canton of Vaud in Switzerland and practices as an internist and pulmonologist.