1 st World Congress on Migration Ethnicity Race

1 st World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Health “Diversity and Health” 17 -19 May 2018, Edinburgh, Scotland Opportunities and Challenges of an Ethnic Doctor-Patient-Relationship by the Example of Physicians and Patients of Turkish Origin in Germany Dr Lisa Peppler | lisa. peppler@charite. de Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany

Doctors and Patients of Turkish Origin in Germany • Current debates focus on intercultural doctor-patient -relationships • widely disregarded: migrants are often treated by physicians of the same ethnic group • ethnic healthcare • Which opportunities and challenges arise from an intracultural doctor-patient-relationship?

Methods • research period: May 2010 – September 2011 • semi-structured interviews with 29 physicians of Turkish origin working in Germany • expert interviews with three presidents of Turkish German medical associations • analyzed with MAXQDA-based coding

Results (1/2) • physicians are frequently consulted by Turkish patients as members of their ethnic group • they expect them to be familiar with their culture • physicians simplify their access to healthcare

Case example: Dr Pala (general practitioner) „Usually, this ruins a new practice, when you take over a practice and only five patients come. But still I had 700 patients straightaway in the first calender quater, because all the Turks came to me. That was clear, I was the first and I am still the only Turkish speaking general practitioner in this city. And than they surged. “

Results (2/2) • some physicians refuse to treat Turkish patients: financially weak and difficult to deal with • patients‘ request for a special treatment due to the shared Turkish origin • physicians reject these claims due to their professional role

Case example: Dr Lema (dentist) „And they come, they stand right here at the door, like ‚yeah, we heard you were a Turk, I have a toothache. ‘ Yes okay, but I have my reservation patients. […] I want people to come to me, because they know and value me as a good dentist and want to use my service. “

Conclusion • Physicians of a particular ethnic group can improve healthcare for migrants from the same group • conflicts arise from different expectations • ethnic healthcare must be included in political strategies to ensure migrants’ access to public health • national healthcare policies should extend the support of ethnic healthcare

Thank you! Dr Lisa Peppler | lisa. peppler@charite. de Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany Dissertation: Peppler, Lisa (2016): Medizin und Migration. Deutsche Ärztinnen und Ärzte türkischer Herkunft – eine soziokulturelle Mikroskopie. (Göttinger Studien zur Generationsforschung, 23) Göttingen: Wallstein.