Attitudes of Spanish doctors towards immigrant patients: an opinion survey

Abstract

Introduction. We assess the attitudes of Spanish doctors towards immigrant patients.

Material and method. Design: cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in January-June 2003. Sample and setting. Family doctors and third-year residents of 15 health care centers in Zaragoza, Spain. Instrument: specifically designed interview answered in anonymously and on a voluntary basis.

Results. A total of 62.3 % of the sample responded. Nearly 75 % of the doctors had received training on immigration, mainly from a theoretical point of view. Almost 25 % of immigrant consultations are not related to health matters. Doctors think that immigrant patients somatize more than Spanish ones but they do not suffer from more psychiatric illness. They also think immigrants show less treatment compliance and are more demanding. They disagree about possible racial biases in diagnosis or treatment of these patients. Spanish doctors consider that the different ethnic groups present similar management difficulties. The group with the most negative stereotype was the patients from Muslim North African countries.

Discussion. These findings are discussed from a psychological and anthropological perspective