Health Service Experiences of War-injured Immigrant Populations in Canada in 2023

Background: Immigrants who have sustained war-related injuries face unique challenges within the healthcare systems of their new countries. This study aimed to explore the health service experiences of war-injured immigrant populations in Richmond Hill, Ontario, with a focus on identifying the barriers they encounter and the aspects of healthcare that effectively meet their needs.  Methods: This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to collect data from 26 war-injured immigrants with severe physical injury residing in Richmond Hill, Ontario from June to October 2023. Participants were selected to represent a diverse range of ages, genders, and countries of origin. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to extract patterns and insights related to the healthcare experiences of the participants. The qualitative software NVivo, version 15, was utilized to assist in the organization and analysis of the data. Results: Four main themes emerged from the data: Access to health services, quality of care, patient-provider relationship, and health outcomes and satisfaction. Subthemes identified included initial contact, navigation challenges, financial barriers, waiting times, professional competence, patient-centered care, communication, trust building, cultural competence, communication quality, continuity of care, patient advocacy, recovery experience, satisfaction with care, and improvement in health status. Participants expressed significant challenges related to navigating the healthcare system, language barriers, financial constraints, and long waiting times. Positive experiences were often linked to high-quality communication, cultural competence of providers, and continuous care.  Conclusion: This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to improve access and quality of care for this vulnerable population, including enhancing cultural competence and communication strategies among healthcare providers.