Accepted Type
Dedicated Poster
Code
LP18 - 04
Acceptance Declaration
Accept
Additional Information
I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.
Was this work accepted for CCME 2020?
no
Category
General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)
Type
Poster
Sub Type
Education Research
Will the presenter be a:
Student
Affiliation
Title
Canadians with unmet healthcare needs: Who are they?
Length of Presentation
Background/Purpose
Despite Canada's universal healthcare system, its citizens do not have equitable access to healthcare. This study aims to create a profile of individuals within Canada that have reduced self-reported healthcare access compared to the overall population and aims to highlight current gaps in the national healthcare framework.
Methods
Data from the Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2014 were analyzed to determine the proportion of Canadians who report unmet healthcare needs, what services were unavailable, and why they were unable to access healthcare services. Further, the data were analyzed to determine whether there is variation in unmet healthcare needs based on respondents' sociodemographic characteristics.
Results
10.9% of CCHS 2014 respondents reported having unmet healthcare needs. Younger respondents, female respondents, individuals with poor health status, respondents without a regular medical doctor, recent immigrants, and individuals with low income were most likely to report having unmet healthcare needs. Respondents in the territories were most likely to report having unmet healthcare needs. Wait times, lack of healthcare service availability when the service was required, and lack of healthcare service availability in the respondent's area were reported as the greatest contributing factors to having unmet healthcare needs.
Conclusion
Limited access to healthcare experienced by various subpopulations within Canada highlights the need for the identification of marginalized individuals whose health may benefit from improved access to healthcare. With this knowledge, steps can be taken within the healthcare system and government in order to improve healthcare access and promote health equity across Canada.
Keyword 1
health services accessibility
Keyword 2
health disparities
Keyword 3
medically underserved area
Level of Training
Undergraduate
Abstract Themes
Patient Safety
Additional Theme (First choice)
Leadership
Additional Theme (Second Choice)
Professionalism
Additional Theme (Third Choice)
Authors
Presenter
Lauren Winsor
Term 1
Yes
Term 2
Yes
Term 3
Yes
Term 4
Yes
Term 5
Yes
