J Korean Acad Nurs Adm.  2011 Jun;17(2):226-237.

Foreign Residents' Experience of Korean Health Care Services

• Lee BS
• Oh IK
• Lee EM

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was done to identify the experience of health care services by foreign residents in Korea. METHOD: Participants were 12 foreigners from China, North America, and Japan. Qualitative data were collected using three focus group interviews and analyzed with qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS
The participants' experience of health services was categorized as 21 sub-categories, 11 categories and three main categories. The main categories were 'Quality of health care', 'Health care personnel', and 'Health care system and infrastructure'. The main category of 'Quality of health care' included three categories, 'Health care personnel' included another four categories, and 'Health care system and infrastructure' included the remaining four categories. The participants reported positive experiences such as favorable feelings and satisfaction particularly, with the high quality of health care but also negative experiences such as apprehension, distrust, difficulties, and inconvenience in the health care service in Korea.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study can be helpful in the development of strategies to improve health care services for foreigners by providing fundamental information about the foreign residents' experience of health care services in Korea from their perspectives.

Keyword

Health care service; Foreigner

MeSH Terms

China
Delivery of Health Care
Emigrants and Immigrants
Focus Groups
Health Services
Humans
Japan
Korea
North America
Quality of Health Care

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