Page 9 - IJPS-10-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Healthcare access and use among rural–urban migrants

such as premium exemptions, free enrolment, free in Ghana; the concept entails healthcare access and
maternal healthcare, and free antenatal and childbirth care utilization; and the context is Ghana. The review addressed
for vulnerable populations, including internal migrants, as the following questions:
specified under the National Health Insurance Regulation (i) What are the facilitators and barriers to accessing and
(sections 56 and 58) (Aryeetey et al., 2015; Blanchet utilizing health-care services among internal migrants?
et al., 2012; National Health Insurance Regulations, (ii) What coping mechanisms do internal migrants use
2004). Notwithstanding, these policies and interventions when faced with barriers to accessing and utilizing
to address the health access problems, socioeconomic health-care services?
factors such as cultural barriers, occupation, food, (iii) What health system interventions and strategies could
housing, utilities, transportation, and access to education be used to improve internal migrants’ access to and
also play a major role in determining healthcare access to utilization of health-care services?
and utilization for internal migrants (Doshi et al., 2020).
Thus, despite several interventions to improve health-care 2.2. Identify relevant papers
services and facilitate full-range access among internal A three-step search strategy for scoping reviews was used
migrants in Ghana, evidence still points to growing health to achieve a comprehensive search, as recommended by
inequality between internal migrants and urban natives the Joanna Briggs Institute (2015). First, an initial search
(Akazili et al., 2017; Sznajder et al., 2020). This evidence, of the PubMed database (Table 1) was conducted. Second,
however, has not yet been synthesized to understand the the search strategy developed for the PubMed database
various factors influencing their access to and utilization was applied to the following databases: EconLit, CINAHL,
of health-care services. This review, therefore, seeks to PsychINFO, and Medline (Ovid). Third, the reference
address these gaps by systematically identifying literature lists of all eligible articles were searched and screened for
on internal migrants’ access to and utilization of health- additional relevant studies. The final search strategy in
care services in Ghana. The review also examines their PubMed was conducted in June 2022.
coping mechanisms and proposes strategies to improve
their health outcomes. 2.3. Select studies

2. Data and methods All article citations were exported to the EndNote Version
X9 library for further screening of titles and abstracts.
This review followed Arksey & O’Malley’s (2005) guidelines Duplicate records were removed electronically using
for conducting scoping reviews, which involve five steps: Endnote. Subsequently, abstract screening was conducted,
(i) identify research question(s); (ii) identify relevant followed by a full-text screening to select eligible relevant
papers; (iii) select studies; (iv) extract and chart data; and papers by applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria:
(v) collate, summarize, and report findings. • Inclusion criteria
(i) Published gray literature and peer‐reviewed
2.1. Identify research question English language articles from January 2012 to
The research questions were informed by the population, June 2022.
concept, and context framework (Ankomah et al., 2021; (ii) Papers on facilitators and/or barriers to healthcare
Chambers et al., 2016; Peters et al., 2015), as shown in access among internal migrants in Ghana.
Figure 2. The population refers to internal migrants (iii) Papers showing coping mechanisms internal
migrants use when faced with barriers to
healthcare in Ghana.

Table 1. Search term developed for the PubMed database
Concept# Search terms entered in PubMed Result
1 urban OR internal migrants OR internal 308,492
migrants OR migrants OR migrants
2 Utilization OR utilization OR usage OR 5,073,467
uptake OR use OR access OR health care
OR health care OR health service
3 #1 AND #2 99,766
4 Ghana 5,073,467
5 #3 AND #4 665
Figure 2. The population, concept, and context framework

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2314