Characteristics of the Problems in Medical Care for Foreigners Living in Fukuoka City

Abstract

Recent years have seen a remarkable increase in the number of foreigners living in central of Japan. Consequently, there are many reports indicating problems on the part of foreigners as well as Japanese medical staffs. The problems, for example, stem from a lack of foreigners' understandings about the Japanese medical system as well as misunderstandings between foreign patients and medical staffs . Similar problems have occured in Fukuoka City, southern part of Japan. Nonetheless, there are currently no rigorous studies that have examined medical care for foreigners living in the city. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to analyze the problems in medical care for foreigners based upon questionnaire surveys. The surveys were conducted for 253 medical doctors having had foreign patients in the years 1992 and 1993 and for 37 foreign university students. Our analysis shows that major problems are largely due to difficulty in communication. Only 12.4% of foreign patients accompanied interpretors, including that difficulty in establishing a doctor-patient relationship. Foreign students found it difficult to obtain information on the city's medical system, while Japanese medical doctors are willing to know foreign medical practices and foreign cultures . Six point three percent of medical doctors had an experience of unpaid medical bills and they quite often provided insufficient medical treatments to their patients who had no ability to pay their medical bills. To alleviate the problems, our suggestion is to establish both dispatch system of interpreters and consultation system for foreigners as soon as possible . Besides, it is necessary to provide information about health insurance and medical services and customs of medical practices to foreign residents. Medical doctors in Fukuoka City still have not much experience in the association with foreign people, since we Japanese are a single race and have a single language. Hence, it is of great necessity for medical doctors to have greater knowledge in overseas medical customs and to make an effort of solve the problems in medical care for foreigners.