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Canadians without regular medical doctors. Who are they?
Y Talbot1, E Fuller-Thomson, F Tudiver
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto (U of T), Ontario. family@ican.net
Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Many Canadians lack a regular doctor, especially younger men, recent immigrants, and those with lower incomes. This highlights a need for primary care reform to improve access for underserved populations.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
- Primary Care
Background:
- Regular medical doctors are linked to better health outcomes.
- Understanding characteristics of those without regular doctors is crucial for healthcare access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify demographic, health, and lifestyle factors associated with Canadians lacking a regular medical doctor.
- To inform strategies for improving primary care coverage.
Main Methods:
- Secondary data analysis of the National Population Health Survey.
- Involved 15,777 Canadian respondents over 20 years old.
- Utilized bivariate analyses and logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Approximately 14% of respondents reported not having a regular doctor.
- Factors associated with lacking a regular doctor include being younger, male, single, low-income, perceiving better health, being a recent immigrant, lacking confidants, and smoking.
- Quebec had the lowest likelihood of participants having a regular doctor.
Conclusions:
- Primary care reform should explore alternative delivery models.
- Future programs should target underserved groups like men, low-income individuals, recent immigrants, and those without confidants.