Transnational lives and use of prescribed and traditional medicines

The past few decades have seen a large growth in international migration due to economic migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. This demographic transition presents significant problems to healthcare systems around the world, as they have painstakingly struggled to understand the health practices, healthcare-seeking habits, and treatment preferences of transnational migrant communities. Solutions to these key issues are critical to addressing the health inequities that many migrant communities may experience in their new countries of destination.

Globally, a growing body of literature now exists describing the health disparities that face migrant communities, particularly marginalized groups. Due to a lack of access to basic medical treatment, marginalized migrant populations have greater levels of poor health outcomes, including physical and mental health challenges. These populations are confronted by a range of hurdles in accessing healthcare, including language barriers and cultural differences that limit their ability to receive healthcare services. For example, language problems while communicating with healthcare providers, can result in misunderstandings and misdiagnoses. Cultural differences may impede access to healthcare, since some cultural beliefs may conflict with Western medical procedures and medicines. They may also result in receipt of inappropriate or substandard care from providers who lack cultural competency. Furthermore, legislative constraints, such as limited access to healthcare due to migration status, can prevent some migrants (e.g., asylum seekers, refugees) from receiving appropriate care. Such resultant health disparities have broader societal ramifications, including decreased productivity, increased morbidity and mortality rates and greater healthcare expenses. Addressing these concerns and improving healthcare access for marginalized transnational migrant communities is therefore critical.

Another issue that warrants exploration is the existence and/or extent of transnational medical pluralism among migrant populations, and how access to formal health services (i.e., NHS) and other structural challenges (e.g., intersectional identities, racism, discrimination) potentially push migrants to resort to traditional medicines to cope with, and satisfy their health needs. Research (e.g., Krause, 2008) notes the existence of medical pluralism among migrants, and continued influence of transnational social networks of support for migrants in regards to coping with physical and mental wellbeing challenges. The use of various forms of healing, therefore, needs to be investigated holistically, taking into consideration cultural influences, nature and strength of support structures and networks between home country and the UK, and structural constraints.

Understanding difficulties that migrants experience while seeking healthcare is essential in the UK, which has one of the largest migrant populations in the world. This study seeks to examine migrants' health needs, their experiences with the healthcare system, the organization and delivery of healthcare services, and the impact of structural environments in the NHS on the utilization of health care services by migrant populations.

The study proposes to use a phenomenological approach to obtain in-depth perspectives of the experiences of transnational migrant communities and their experiences seeking healthcare in the UK. Use of these data collection strategies will allow participants to freely discuss their experiences and thoughts. This approach will enable the understanding of migrants' ideas and attitudes toward healthcare access and use, their illness experiences, and interactions with pharmaceuticals, healthcare systems and their use of traditional medicines.