An ethnographic study of a community dentistry network serving Latine migrant farmworkers in Vermont: Barriers and access to care during the COVID‐19 pandemic and beyond

Background and Objectives Primary dental healthcare services are not accessible for a majority of Latino/a/e migrant farmworkers in the United States. Unmet dental health needs are well documented in larger states like California, Florida and New York, but the dental healthcare picture in smaller st...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community dentistry and oral epidemiology 2024-02, Vol.52 (1), p.59-67
Main Authors: Bright, Kristin L., Lichtman, Kayla
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community Dentistry
COVID-19
COVID‐19 pandemic
dental healthcare providers
Dentistry
ethnographic
Ethnography
Farmers
Farmworkers
Health care
Health care access
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Immigrants
intercultural care
Latine migrant farmworkers
Medical personnel
Pandemics
Preventive medicine
qualitative
structural barriers
Transients and Migrants
United States
Vermont - epidemiology
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Summary:Background and Objectives Primary dental healthcare services are not accessible for a majority of Latino/a/e migrant farmworkers in the United States. Unmet dental health needs are well documented in larger states like California, Florida and New York, but the dental healthcare picture in smaller states is not well understood. The goal of this qualitative ethnographic study was to understand the delivery model of a free dentistry network serving Latine farmworkers in rural Vermont and specific barriers experienced at the network during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Semi‐structured ethnographic interviews were carried out with clinicians and transcripts were analysed using the constant comparison method to identify salient concerns and recommendations about barriers and delivery of care. Results Clinicians highlighted structural issues including farmworkers' lack of time off work and absence of transportation to attend appointments, concerns about COVID‐19 safety, concerns about immigration surveillance and language barriers. Providers outlined steps for improved service delivery including mobile care at local farms, enhanced intercultural training for providers, recognizing dentistry as essential healthcare at the state level and the leverage of existing appointments for preventive health. Drawing on anthropological frameworks of place‐based care and deservingness of healthcare, our ethnographic findings emphasize the role of community dentistry in bridging gaps in migrant healthcare during and beyond the COVID‐19 pandemic.
ISSN:0301-5661
1600-0528
DOI:10.1111/cdoe.12901