Differences in access to emergency care among Italians and immigrants: results from a national monitoring system of immigrants’ health - E-Poster Abstract

Sep 30, 2026

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Study objective: compare differences in access to emergency care between Italians and immigrants in Italy. The National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty coordinates monitoring across 10 regions, using 60 indicators covering hospital, maternal-child, and emergency services for 2016–2022. Findings: immigrants show higher shares of white and green triage codes at emergency department visits, with 2022 male/female proportions detailed. Conclusion: delayed or insufficient care and difficulties accessing primary care may drive emergency use for conditions manageable elsewhere.

LanguageEnglish

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Introduction

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vi140 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 Abstract citation ID: ckaf180.390 90 Differences in access to emergency care among Italians and immigrants: results from a national monitoring system of immigrants’ health Alessio Petrelli1, Alessia Spinelli1, Teresa Spadea2, Raffaella Rusciani2, Olivia Leoni3, Giovanni Maifredi4, Pietro Patricola4, Antonio Fanolla5, Eva Papa5, Laura Battisti6, Nicola Caranci7, Sara Cavagnis7, Paolo Giorgi Rossi8, Fabio Voller9, Caterina Milli9, Ombretta Checconi10, Marcello De Giorgi10, Nera Agabiti11, Laura Cacciani11, Ettore Attolini12, Domenico Ferrante12, Vito Lepore12, Lucia Bisceglia12, Anna Salvatore12, Sebastiano Pollina Addario13, Achille Cernigliaro13,14, Alessandra Allotta13, Martina Ventura1, Anteo Di Napoli1 1Epidemiology Unit, INMP-Rome, Italy, Rome, Italy 2Piedmont Region-Epidemiology Unit ASL TO3, Collegno (TO), Italy 3DG Welfare, Lombardia Region, Milan, Italy 4Epidemiology Unit-ATS Brescia, Brescia, Italy 5Observatory for Health – Health Department Province of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy 6Osservatorio Epidemiologico, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari, Trento, Italy 7Department of Innovation in Healthcare and Social Services-Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy 8Epidemiology Unit, AUSL Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy 9Epidemiology Unit, Agenzia Regionale Sanit -Toscana Region, Florence, Italy 10Servizio Sistemi Informativi Sanitari, Sanit Digitale e Innovazione-Direzione Salute e Welfare-Regione Umbria, Perugia, Italy 11Department of Epidemiology ASL Roma 1-Lazio Region, Rome, Italy 12Agenzia Regionale Strategica per la Salute ed il Sociale, Puglia Region, Bari, Italy 13Dipartimento Regionale per le Attivit Sanitarie e Osservatorio EpidemiologicoAssessorato alla Salute-Regione Sicilia, Palermo, Italy 14Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Trapani-Presidio Ospedaliero Sant’Antonio Abate -Dipartimento dei Servizi e delle Scienze Radiologiche-Unit Operativa Complessadi Patologia Clinica, Erice (TP), Italy EP3.2, e-Poster Terminal 3, September 3, 2025, 13:05-14:00 Introduction: In 2024 immigrants represented 8.9% of the population residing in Italy. They have better overall health conditions compared to the native population. However, the presence of formal and informal barriers often limits their appropriate access to healthcare, which needs to be closely monitored. The objective of this study is to compare the differences in access to emergency care between Italians and immigrants. Methods: The National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP) coordinates a monitoring system for the health status and healthcare of the resident immigrant population, which currently includes 10 regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Trento and Bolzano Autonomous Provinces, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Puglia, and Sicily), where 75% of the total residents in Italy and 83% of foreign nationals live. To date, the monitoring system covers the period 2016-2022 . Data collected by the regions through different healthcare information systems are summarized in a set of 60 indicators covering hospital care, maternal-child care, and emergency care services. Results: During the observation period (2016-2022), the percentage distribution of emergency department visits by triage code showed a higher proportion of white and green codes among immigrants compared to Italians, with trends remaining fairly stable overtime. The 2022 data show the following proportions for foreigners 2nd World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race & Health Abstract Book vi141 and Italians: 16.3% vs 10.2% for white codes and 68. 1% vs 64.2% for green codes, among men; 13.4% vs 9.7% for white codes and 70.5% vs 65.5% for green codes, among women. Conclusions: It can be hypothesized that the failure to promptly or adequately care for immigrants leads to acute events that require emergency department visits for conditions that could be managed in different c

FAQs

What is the study objective regarding emergency care?

The study compares differences in access to emergency care between Italians and immigrants in Italy.

How was the monitoring system organized and what time period was covered?

INMP coordinates monitoring across 10 regions, covering 2016–2022 and summarizing data from regions’ healthcare information systems using 60 indicators.

What triage-related differences were observed between immigrants and Italians?

During 2016–2022, immigrants had a higher proportion of white and green triage codes at emergency department visits than Italians, with trends remaining fairly stable.

What explanations are proposed for emergency department use among immigrants?

The authors hypothesize that failure to promptly or adequately care for immigrants leads to acute events requiring emergency visits, and that emergency services are used for less severe conditions due to difficulties accessing primary care.

Sep 30, 2026

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