Healthcare Access, Quality, and Satisfaction Among Albanian Immigrants Using the Emergency Department in Northern Greece

Greece constitutes a main point of entry for the EU but also a final destination for a large number of immigrants. The present research aims to illuminate the relationship of Albanian immigrants with the public health system in Greece. Cross sectional study of 167 Albanian immigrants who referred to the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary general hospital. The average age of the study population was 38.96 years (SD: ± 12.53), with 62.1% being familiar with health services. 54.9% referred to the ED for chronic problems. 41.9% were dissatisfied regarding the level of care provided; Albanian citizenship was thought to be the main reason (40%). Despite the majority of Albanian immigrants being familiar with health services in Northern Greece, there seems to be a misuse of the emergency department for chronic problems. A good proportion of immigrants believe their foreign citizenship prevents them from better healthcare.