I attended the ECSR 2026 Annual Conference at Trinity College Dublin from 15–17 June 2026 and presented joint work with Kim Holmberg on how institutional uncertainty and transnational information practices shape trust in Nordic healthcare.

Presentation

Institutional Uncertainty, Transnational Information, and Trust in Nordic Healthcare
Hamed Ahmadinia & Kim Holmberg

Research focus

The study examines immigrant experiences of healthcare systems in Finland, Norway and Sweden, focusing on how people navigate institutional uncertainty, combine local and transnational information sources, and develop selective forms of trust through repeated encounters with healthcare institutions.

Data and analytical approach

The conference paper draws on a broader project dataset of 72 interviews across the three Nordic countries. For the presented analysis, six community-informant interviews were selected, two from each country, to provide analytical depth on recurring healthcare-access, information-use and trust patterns.

Key argument presented

• Formal universal entitlement does not automatically become usable access.
• Uncertainty can arise through booking, referrals, digital systems, language requirements and unclear institutional guidance.
• When local guidance is difficult to navigate, immigrants may use family abroad, diaspora media, messaging groups and physicians in countries of origin as practical information support.
• Trust is not simply present or absent; it can become selective and conditional through repeated experiences.