Barriers to Accessing Healthcare by Immigrants from Cameroon in a Metropolitan Region in the US

Immigrants to the United States of America (USA) generally have difficulty adjusting to and accessing healthcare in their host environment. This study aimed at finding out the barriers to accessing healthcare among immigrants from Cameroon in a large metropolitan region on the East Coast of the USA and possible solutions to overcome the barriers in order to attain optimal health. The study is a phenomenological project approached from a hermeneutic perspective using community members and groups from Cameroon. The hermeneutic approach is rooted in the health belief theory, theory of planned behavior and reasoned action, trans-theoretical model and stages of change, social network and social support theory, and the community mobilization theory. Fifteen families were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews took place on weekends and weekday evenings at the family residence or other community location chosen by the respondent. The interviews helped to identify perceived and actual barriers to accessing healthcare resources in the region. Six focus group discussions were equally held with ethnic/faith/alumni-based Cameroon community groups using a semi-structured questionnaire aimed at finding creative ways to overcome barriers identified by community members. Focus group discussions took place on weekends after routine meeting sessions by the community group. Data were collected from mid-Winter through early-Summer 2017. Data were organized and analyzed using NVivo 11 (starter edition). The findings revealed that the main barriers to accessing healthcare were; Cameroonians have non-preventative health seeking behaviors; community members have limited understanding of the U.S. healthcare/health payer systems and cost of healthcare (even for those with insurance) is a major impediment to healthcare access among other reasons. Solutions to overcome the barriers include; personal/family/ community education on the U.S. health system, using community groups as care coordination platforms, and partnering with Cameroonian or other medical professionals from tropical regions to access healthcare in a familiar and culturally sensitive manner.