Understanding the Unattached Population in Ontario: Evidence from the Primary Care Access Survey (PCAS)

To measure primary care access on an ongoing basis, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care implemented the Primary Care Access Survey (PCAS) in 2006. The PCAS, a cross-sectional telephone survey, samples approximately 8,400 Ontario adults each year. It collects information on access to a family doctor, use of services, health status and socio-demographics. Analysis of the 2007-2008 PCAS (n=16,560) shows that 7.1% of Ontario's adults were without a family doctor (i.e., unattached). The attached and unattached populations differed on socio-demographic and health characteristics. Emergency department use was similar between the two groups, but walk-in clinic use was higher among the unattached. The unattached were less likely to have used care for immediate issues but accessed care in a more timely fashion than the attached. This initial exploration of the PCAS provides a better understanding of some of the differences between the attached and unattached populations in Ontario.