Barriers to healthcare access and continuity of care among Ukrainian war refugees in Europe: findings from the RefuHealthAccess study

Basit Öğe Kaydı
dc.contributor.authorKardas, Przemyslaw
dc.contributor.authorMogilevkina, Iryna
dc.contributor.authorAksoy, Nilay
dc.contributor.authorAgh, Tamas
dc.contributor.authorGaruoliene, Kristina
dc.contributor.authorLomnytska, Marta
dc.contributor.authorIstomina, Natalja
dc.contributor.authorUrbanavice, Rita
dc.contributor.authorWettermark, Björn
dc.contributor.authorKhanyk, Nataliia
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-14T17:36:38Z
dc.date.available2025-08-14T17:36:38Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.departmentFakülteler, Eczacılık Meslek Bilimleri Bölümü, Klinik Eczacılık Ana Bilim Dalı
dc.descriptionArticle number : 1516161
dc.description.abstractIntroduction: The Russian invasion of Ukraine displaced over 14 million people. By 2024, around 6 million Ukrainian refugees settled in Europe under the EU Temporary Protection Directive, providing permit of residence, work and health care. This influx strained European healthcare systems, particularly in addressing acute injuries. As the stay of refugees in EU countries prolongs, the management of chronic conditions becomes increasingly important. However, there is limited information available about Ukrainian refugees' access to various healthcare services. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate perceived accessibility of healthcare services in Europe for Ukrainian war refugees and to identify barriers to healthcare access, in order to inform improvements in healthcare provision. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across Europe from July 2023 to April 2024, targeting adult Ukrainian war refugees. Survey explored areas defined as key health care needs. Descriptive, parametric and non-parametric statistical analysis methods were employed in data analysis. Results: Of 659 respondents, 550 (83.4%) were included in the final analysis due to having reported need to use healthcare services in the past year. The most prevalent needs included dental care (82.9%), prescription medication (81.6%), care for acute (78.4%), and chronic conditions (64.0%). Perceived access to care varied across services, with vaccinations rated highest, while chronic condition care rated lowest. Around ¼ of respondents reported that they had to temporarily return to Ukraine for services not available in the countries where they stayed, these being mostly dental and gynaecologic care. The most prevalent barriers reported were long waiting times (64.2%), information barriers (55.5%), and high service costs (49.1%). Discussion: The survey identified several barriers in the access to healthcare system for Ukrainians, particularly for chronic conditions care. Some barriers may be subjective, relating to limited access to information. However, others point to potential shortcomings within national healthcare systems, suggesting areas that require further review and improvement. Conclusions: Addressing language barriers, improving information dissemination, and enhancing chronic condition management were identified as crucial for improving healthcare access for Ukrainian war refugees. Coordinated strategies are needed to support refugees and ensure the sustainability of host healthcare systems. Copyright
dc.identifier.citationKardas, P., Mogilevkina, I., Aksoy, N., Ágh, T., Garuoliene, K., Lomnytska, M., ... & Khanyk, N. (2025). Barriers to healthcare access and continuity of care among Ukrainian war refugees in Europe: findings from the RefuHealthAccess study. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1516161. 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1516161
dc.identifier.doi10.3389/fpubh.2025.1516161
dc.identifier.issn2296-2565
dc.identifier.pmid40241956
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-105002657733
dc.identifier.scopusqualityQ1
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12939/5897
dc.identifier.volume13
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001467392900001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ1
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.indekslendigikaynakPubMed
dc.institutionauthorAksoy, Nilay
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherFRONTIERS MEDIA SA
dc.relation.ispartofFrontiers in Public Health
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subjectbarriers to healthcare
dc.subjectchronic conditions
dc.subjectEuropean healthcare systems
dc.subjecthealthcare access
dc.subjectrefugee healthcare needs
dc.subjectTemporary Protection Directive
dc.subjectUkraine
dc.subjectwar refugees
dc.titleBarriers to healthcare access and continuity of care among Ukrainian war refugees in Europe: findings from the RefuHealthAccess study
dc.typeArticle

Dosyalar

Lisans paketi
Listeleniyor 1 - 1 / 1
[ X ]
İsim:
license.txt
Boyut:
1.17 KB
Biçim:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Açıklama:
İndir

Koleksiyon

PubMed İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu