Medical care of asylum seekers: a descriptive study of the appropriateness of nurse practitioners' care compared to traditional physician-based care in a gatekeeping system

Table 2 Baseline characteristics according to site of encounter

	NHC	GP	MOC	UH	Total
	n = 200	n = 50	n = 100	n = 100	n = 450	P values*
Number of women [%]	73 [36.5]	27 [54]	46 [46]	36 [36]	182 [40.4]	p = 0.066
Mean age (SD)	31.1(11.8)	34.2(12.6)	33(13.4)	31.7(13.1)	32 (12.6)	p = 0.364
Origin [%]						p = 0.106
Sub-Saharan Africa	99 [49.5]	25 [50]	43 [43]	33 [33]	200 [44.4]
Balkan	65 [32]	13 [26]	37 [37]	35 [35]	150 [33.3]
Middle/Far-East	20 [10]	5 [10]	7 [7]	13 [13]	45 [10]
Others	16 [8]	7 [14]	13 [13]	19 [19]	55 [12.2]
Habitation						p = 0.003
Apartment [%]	136 [68]	44 [88]	60 [60]	68 [68]	308 [68.4]
Centre for refugees [%]	42 [21]	2 [4]	34 [34]	25 [25]	103 [22.9]
Bomb shelter [%]†	22 [11]	4 [8]	6 [6]	7 [7]	39 [8.7]
Main Health Problem						p < 0.001
Gastro-intestinal [%]	12 [6]	8 [16]	19 [19]	24 [24]	63 [14]
Osteo-articular [%]	33 [16.5]	9 [18]	9 [9]	6 [6]	58 [12.9]
Neurological [%]	15 [7.5]	7 [14]	12 [12]	15 [15]	49 [10.9]
Dermatological [%]	20 [10]	4 [8]	12 [12]	1 [1]	45 [10]
Ear-Nose-Throat [%]	38 [19]	4 [8]	8 [8]	1 [1]	40 [8.9]
Accident [%]	7 [3.5]	2 [4]	6 [6]	27 [27]	41 [9.1]
Other [%]	75 [37.5]	16 [32]	34 [34]	26 [26]	151 [33.6]

* P-values were calculated with X² test for all variables except age were ANOVA was used.
† bomb shelter: as there was not enough space for asylum seekers in the centres created for them, the local government has decided to adapt the Swiss military bomb shelters as temporary living places for asylum seekers.
NHC: Nurse Healthcare Center, PCP: Primary Care Physician (GP+MOC+UH), GP: General Practitioners, MOC: Medical Outpatient Clinic, UH: University hospital (emergency ward department)

ISSN: 1471-2458