Understanding cultures and building capacity to bridge the cultural chasm : what are the perspectives of Chinese migrant about Australian general practice?

Context: There is anecdotal evidence suggesting that Chinese people lack confidence and trust in the primary health care system as they perceive general practitioners (GPs) to be 'unsafe' and 'lowly'; preferring to consult more 'esteemed' specialists for even the most minute ailments. There is however a dearth of research exploring Chinese migrants' perspectives on general practice in Australia and the factors which may pose as barriers to their uptake of primary care services. Objective: To explore the experience of Chinese migrants with general practice and GPs in Australia and the influence of cultural differences and their past experience in China on their current perspectives. Design: Qualitative research using a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 10-12 Chinese migrants purposively recruited and selected to achieve maximum variation. Interview questions have been developed based on components of the General Practice Assessment Questionnaire (GPAQ) and General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS) to explore patients' perspectives on the quality of care provided by their general practice and GPs. The interviews will be audiotaped and transcribed, then thematically analysed. Setting: Melbourne, Australia. Participants: Chinese migrants from China. Findings: Recruitment and data collection are underway. Results will be available for presentation by July 2019. Implication(s) for practice: Findings are expected to help the general practice discipline in Australia understand the cultural factors influencing Chinese migrant patients' perspectives and inform the development, implementation and evaluation of engagement strategies. This will contribute to GP development in Australia, potentially raising the standard and quality of general practice.