Access to Health Care
Archived Topic Box from the 2002 Second Annual Benchmark Report
Description:
The Health Services Access Survey (HSAS) was developed by Statistics Canada with the intention of obtaining
comparable and comprehensive information on the patterns of health care usage and potential barriers
Canadians face when they try to access health care services. The 2001 results are the first of their kind in Canada.
Statistics Canada intends to make this an annual survey. The Progress Board may be able to use this information for additional benchmarks in the future.
Among the Key Findings:
- An estimated 4.3 million Canadians reported difficulties accessing first contact services and
approximately 1.4 million Canadians reported difficulties accessing specialized services. Lengthy waits
and problems contacting a health care provider were frequently cited by those who experienced difficulty accessing care.
- One in five individuals who required specialized services indicated that waiting for care affected their lives.
Most of these individuals reported that they experienced worry, stress and anxiety, pain or diminished health as a result of waiting for care.
Self-Reported Unmet Health Needs
Statistics Canada identifies self-reported unmet health needs as an emerging indicator of access to health care
services. The definition for unmet health needs is broad, including anytime in the last twelve months that individuals
felt they needed health information or advice or health care services that were not received.
When asked for reasons for the unmet need, approximately half (49.4%) of the respondents said it was due to lengthy
waits for care. Other reasons included that the service was not available when needed (23.3%) or not available in their
area (13.3%). Almost half (49.7%) of the individuals reporting unmet needs for health care services had tried to access
services from a physician's office, while 18.1% had tried a hospital and 18.9% had tried an emergency room.
Unmet Health Care Needs by Type of Service, 2001
| |
All Services** |
Health Information or Advice |
Health Care Services |
| |
Percent of Population |
Rank |
Percent of Population |
Rank |
Percent of Population |
Rank |
| BC |
11.6 |
7 |
5.5 |
7 |
8.6 |
6 |
| AB |
11.4 |
6 |
5.9 |
8 |
7.7 |
5 |
| SK* |
11.3 |
5 |
6.7 |
10 |
7.4 |
3 |
| MB* |
13.5 |
10 |
6.4 |
9 |
10.4 |
8 |
| ON* |
11.2 |
4 |
4.0 |
1 |
9.4 |
7 |
| QC* |
9.9 |
1 |
5.0 |
4 |
7.3 |
2 |
| NB* |
10.1 |
2 |
5.4 |
5 |
6.7 |
1 |
| NS* |
10.2 |
3 |
4.6 |
3 |
7.6 |
4 |
| PE |
12.6 |
9 |
5.4 |
5 |
10.5 |
9 |
| NF* |
12.4 |
8 |
4.3 |
2 |
10.9 |
10 |
| Canada |
11.0 |
n/a |
4.8 |
n/a |
8.5 |
n/a |
Notes: *High sampling variability present in "Health Information or Advice".
**Includes "Health Information or Advice" and "Health Care Services".
Source: Statistics Canada (2001), Access to Health Care Services in Canada. |
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