Sharareh Akhavan

Globalization, war, poverty, and political conflicts have all caused increasing numbers of people to migrate and settle in countries other than those of their origin. Sweden is one of the European countries that give residence permits to immigrants and refugees, and that have changed gradually from largely ethnically homogeneous societies into multi-ethnic societies. This chapter focuses on social disparities in health care in Sweden, one of the most modern countries in Europe. It describes and analyzes the factors that contribute to social disparities in Swedish health care. The chapter presents some theoretical aspects of the intersection of class, gender and ethnicity in relation to health. The intersection of class, gender and ethnicity is one of the most decisive social determinants of health and illness. Swedish metropolitan areas (greater Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo) have developed and are continuing to develop ethnically and socio-economically segregated areas.

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress has been a health-related issue among nurses for many decades. Emergency department nurses are frequently confronted with occupational stress in their workplace; in particular, they encounter stressful situations and u

To provide health care on equal terms has become a challenge for the health system. As the front line in health services, primary care has a key role to play in developing equitable health care, responsive to the needs of different population groups. Reducing inequalities in care has been a central and recurring theme in Swedish health reforms. The aim of this study is to describe and assess client/patient experiences and perceptions of care in four primary health care units (PHCUs) involved in Sweden’s national Care on Equal Terms project. Mixed Method Research (MMR) was chosen to describe and assess client/patient experiences and perceptions of health care with regard to equity. There was a focus group discussion, and individual interviews with 21 clients/patients and three representatives of patient associations. Data from the Swedish National Patient Survey (NPS), conducted in 2011 and followed up in 2013, were also used. The interview data were divided into two main categories and three subcategories. The first category “Perception of equitable health care” had two subcategories, namely “Health care providers’ perceptions” and “Fairness and participation”. The second category “To achieve more equitable health care” had four subcategories: “Encounter”, “Access”, “Interpreters and bilingual/diverse health care providers” and “Time pressure and continuity”. Results from the NPS showed that two of the PHCUs improved in some aspects of patient perceived quality of care (PPQC) while two were not so successful. Clients/patients perceived health care providers’ perceptions of their ethnic origin and mental health status as important for equitable health care. Discriminatory perceptions may lead to those in need of care refraining from seeking it. More equitable care means longer consultations, better accessibility in terms of longer opening hours, and ways of communicating other than just via voice mail. It also involves continuity in care and access to an interpreter if needed. Employing bilingual/diverse kinds of health providers is a way of providing more equitable primary health care.

Att ta reda på patienternas uppfattningar om vård och de välfärdstjänstersom samhället erbjuder är viktig för att kunna kvalitetsutveckla vården. Syftetmed denna studie var att undersöka patienternas perspektiv om jämlikhet ivård samt deras idéer om metoder för att utveckla en mer jämlik vård. Föratt nå syftet används kvalitativ metod i form av intervjuer med patienter ochrepresentanter för patientföreningar. Resultatet visar att patienter anser attläkarkontinuitet, tid vid besök, tillgänglighet, kommunikation och bemötandekan utvecklas och blir bättre för att en mer jämlik vård ska uppnås.

Jämlikhet i hälsa och att erbjuda vård på lika villkor är en av de viktigasteaspekterna för ett välfärdssamhälle. Flera rapporter visar att hälso- ochsjukvården inte är jämlik. Syftet med denna studie var att studera vårdpersonalenssynpunkter på jämlik vård samt om deras tankar om metoder för att uppnåen mer jämlik vård. En webbenkät skickades till all personal före och efterprojekttiden i de verksamheter som deltog i Lärande projektet. Resultatet visaratt vårdpersonalen anser att de faktorer som påverkar brukares/patienterstillgång till vård på lika villkor består av: Strukturella/organisatoriska faktorerinom vården (t.ex. brist på läkare), eller i samhället (t.ex. bostadsområde) ochpatienternas/brukarnas sociala situation (t.ex. utbildning).

Background

BACKGROUND: Stress problems are major public health problems. OBJECTIVE: To gain an increased understanding of howworking men seeking care due to minor mental dysfunctions related to stress recognize their symptoms, what triggers them, and how this i

The aim of this study is to explore and describe the experiences of being a teenage mother and taking care of infants less than 6 months of age. Ten teenage mothers were interviewed. Latent content analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts with the teenage mothers. It was found that previous childrearing experiences and social support were important factors in determining how teenage mothers adapted to being a mother and how they practiced infant care. Becoming a mother created feelings of responsibility in the maternal role and led to affection toward their babies. Nevertheless, teenage mothers appreciated the help they received from their families and health-care providers. Instruction and assistance with infant care built self-confidence in the maternal role and in childrearing.

In this study our aim was to explore the experiences of doula support among foreign-born women in Sweden in the context of a “Community-Based Doula” (CBD) intervention project. We conducted interviews with 10 women and analyzed the data using content analysis. Participating women reported that, in addition to support during labor, doulas provided important information and continuity of care, which apparently increased their satisfaction with and trust in maternity health care. Training of CBDs, therefore, has implications for the delivery of equitable maternity care, which applies not only to Sweden and other European countries but wherever there are increasingly diverse populations.