Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, migrants and women were among the most vulnerable groups. By adopting an intersectional lens that considers the challenges arising both from being a migrant and a woman, it is possible to emphasize how migrant women (MW) face specific impacts. While emergency department (ED) datasets are typically used in disaster contexts to analyze utilization patterns and monitor conditions post-emergency, this study employed ED data to assess whether the pandemic exacerbated MW’s barriers to accessing primary healthcare (PHC). Methods: A retrospective observational analysis was conducted using data from the Sacco Hospital ED in Milan, Italy. Ambulatory-care sensitive conditions (ACSC) served as indicators to assess PHC effectiveness. Access-related variables were analyzed using appropriate tests to identify patterns in ED utilization, while time trends revealed visits distribution over time. Results: ED utilization decreased for all groups, but while Italian patients did not return to pre-pandemic utilization levels, both migrant women and men exceeded their previous visit rates. Although ACSC-related visits declined across all groups, the decrease among MW was not statistically significant, suggesting a more stable reliance on the ED. After the pandemic, ACSC visits among MW slightly increased, indicating a potential decline in their health status, possibly due to postponed PHC during the pandemic. The study also found that MW, like migrant men, are referred to GPs more often than Italians and are triaged with lower urgency codes. Conclusion: While differences between migrants and Italians are evident, they primarily reflect trends within the broader migrant population rather than specific patterns among MW, particularly concerning ED utilization, urgency of presentation, and assessment outcomes. EDs must collect more detailed information to facilitate a nuanced and intersectional analysis. This project was supported by Fondazione Cariplo (ref. 2022-1447) and conducted in the framework of the International PhD in Global Health, Humanitarian Aid, and Disaster Medicine (UPO).
Trentin et al. (Sun,) studied this question.