Management

Logically, given this broad focus, the research and educationalprogrammes run by the socio-medical group are inherentlymultidisciplinary. The main scientific disciplines involved are (social)epidemiology, medical sociology and health psychology. Quite often,our research is closely intertwined with other disciplines that arerepresented within iBMG.Over the recent years, the socio-medical research group has developeda strong interest in disparities between the migrant and the nativeDutch populations, with respect to both access and quality of care indifferent settings such as primary care, mental health care, home careand antenatal care. Two PhD projects, of Semiha Denktaş and AnushkaChoté, are worth mentioning in this context. Both their defences areforeseen for 2011. Besides observational studies, experimental studieshave been conducted, aimed at evaluating interventions to improvethe access and quality of care for migrant groups. In cooperation withcolleagues at the Amsterdam Medical Centre the experience in thisfield has been documented in a textbook. An ongoing challenge is thestudy of which intermediating mechanisms (such as socio-economicposition) cause differences between migrant and native populations,as it is not the migrant background per se that is expected to createsuch disparities. Important mechanisms such as migration experiences,including discrimination, as well as cultural mechanisms and healthliteracy, are considered in this context.Socio-medical sciences“An ongoing challenge is the study of whichintermediating mechanisms (such as socioeconomicposition) cause differences betweenmigrant and native populations.”Marleen Foets, PhD19