Are healthcare systems failing immigrants? Transnational migration and social exclusion in the workers' compensation process in Québec
Type de document
Études primaires
Année de publication
2023
Langue
Anglais
Titre de la revue
International Migration Review
Résumé
Background: The changing world of work, which increasingly depends on the use of temporary and atypical forms of employment, has had a disproportionate effect on the health and well-being of immigrants. When they have to find a health professional for the first time or report an accident at work, the journey through the maze of medical-administrative bureaucracy can be long and arduous. The aim of this article is to describe the analytical contribution of systems thinking by presenting three situations that illustrate the importance of connecting the individual, organizational, and societal levels, especially focusing on the interplay between these levels. Methods: The data analyzed in this article are taken from an initial qualitative exploratory study of a purposive sample of 40 individuals: (1) clinicians (N = 15), (2) claims consultants and rehabilitation counselors (N = 14), (3) employers (N = 2), and (4) immigrant workers (N = 9). Situations were analyzed using insights from grounded theory by identifying the interconnectedness of individual, organizational, and system-based factors that can have an impact on the return-to-work process. Results: By looking specifically at the context of occupational rehabilitation in contemporary Québec and the challenges faced by immigrant workers faced with multiple factors of precariousness, this article sets out to show how local healthcare systems are poorly equipped to respond to the new reality of transnational migration. Conclusion: Drawing from recent research in the area of systemic theory, this article posits that systems, which are poorly adapted to the new reality of transnational migration, have the unintended consequence of creating new forms of discrimination and social exclusion.
Mots-clés
Maintien en emploi, Job maintenance, Travailleur immigrant, Immigrant worker, Réadaptation professionnelle, Vocational rehabilitation, Invalidité, Disability, Variable culturelle, Cultural variable, Québec
Numéro de projet IRSST
2010-0037
Citation recommandée
Côté, D., White, B., Dubé, J. et Gravel, S. (2023). Are healthcare systems failing immigrants? Transnational migration and social exclusion in the workers' compensation process in Québec. International Migration Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183231180192