Evaluation of immigration status, race and language barriers on chronic hepatitis C virus infection management and treatment outcomes

Cooper et al
European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
ISSN: 0954-691X • Frequency:12/year • Impact Factor: 2.08 • Subscribe Now

First-generation immigrants make up a significant proportion of populations in Canada, the USA, Europe and Australia. Many of these individuals originate from Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-endemic regions of the world, and are diagnosed with HCV infection after immigration and subsequently referred to viral hepatitis clinics for disease management. Immigrants may face multiple barriers to receiving optimal health care. Communication issues resulting from physician-patient language discordance are known to influence health care satisfaction. Racial and ethnic disparities concerning access to health care are well recognized. Socioeconomic status is another potential obstacle to health care delivery, even in countries with publicly funded universal health care systems.

To provide optimal care to all patients, identifying and understanding barriers to care related to immigrant status, race and language in HCV management is essential. To this end, we compared differences in HCV management between Canadian-born and immigrant patients in the context of a universal medical system within the setting of a diversely populated, urban-located, tertiary care hospital-based multidisciplinary viral hepatitis programme.

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