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Diagnostic testing: therapeutic mobilities, social fields, and medical encounters in the transnational healthcare practices of Polish migrants in the UK

Authors
Affiliations

Giuseppe Troccoli

University of Southampton

Chris Moreh

Derek McGhee

Keele University

Athina Vlachantoni

University of Southampton

10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100100
Abstract
While diagnostic tests are a fundamental component of contemporary medical practice they are seldom considered in studies of transnational healthcare. This article investigates the little-studied role played by diagnostic testing in the healthcare-seeking practices of migrants. It is concerned with the experiences of Polish migrants living in the UK and who access a variety of health services in their host and origin countries across the public and private sectors. We analyse data from semi-structured phone interviews conducted in 2020 with 32 adult Poles living in the UK who identified as having themselves, or non-professionally caring for someone with, a long-term health condition. The article contributes to the literature on migrants’ transnational healthcare practices by showing the centrality of diagnostic technology in their health management and sense-making through the creation, modification, and maintenance of ‘transnational social fields’ (Levitt and Schiller 2004). By emphasizing the role of tests in the patient-doctor relationship the article exposes the therapeutic outcomes of the mobilities of patients and tests as they intersect with physicians in multiple medical encounters.

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Citation

BibTeX citation:
@article{troccoli2022,
  author = {Troccoli, Giuseppe and Moreh, Chris and McGhee, Derek and
    Vlachantoni, Athina},
  title = {Diagnostic Testing: Therapeutic Mobilities, Social Fields,
    and Medical Encounters in the Transnational Healthcare Practices of
    {Polish} Migrants in the {UK}},
  journal = {Journal of Migration and Health},
  volume = {5},
  number = {100100},
  pages = {1-9},
  date = {2022},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100100},
  langid = {en},
  abstract = {While diagnostic tests are a fundamental component of
    contemporary medical practice they are seldom considered in studies
    of transnational healthcare. This article investigates the
    little-studied role played by diagnostic testing in the
    healthcare-seeking practices of migrants. It is concerned with the
    experiences of Polish migrants living in the UK and who access a
    variety of health services in their host and origin countries across
    the public and private sectors. We analyse data from semi-structured
    phone interviews conducted in 2020 with 32 adult Poles living in the
    UK who identified as having themselves, or non-professionally caring
    for someone with, a long-term health condition. The article
    contributes to the literature on migrants’ transnational healthcare
    practices by showing the centrality of diagnostic technology in
    their health management and sense-making through the creation,
    modification, and maintenance of “transnational social fields”
    (Levitt and Schiller 2004). By emphasizing the role of tests in the
    patient-doctor relationship the article exposes the therapeutic
    outcomes of the mobilities of patients and tests as they intersect
    with physicians in multiple medical encounters.}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Troccoli, Giuseppe, Chris Moreh, Derek McGhee, and Athina Vlachantoni. 2022. “Diagnostic Testing: Therapeutic Mobilities, Social Fields, and Medical Encounters in the Transnational Healthcare Practices of Polish Migrants in the UK.” Journal of Migration and Health 5 (100100): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100100.