RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Experiences of Canadians without a primary care clinician
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 6448
DO 10.1370/afm.22.s1.6448
VO 22
IS Supplement 1
A1 Gabinet-Equihua, Alexander
A1 Daneshvarfard, Maryam
A1 Wang, Ri
A1 Breton, Mylaine
A1 Brown-Shreves, Danielle
A1 Condon, Amanda
A1 Hedden, Lindsay
A1 Katz, Alan
A1 Lavergne, Ruth
A1 beyer, alex
A1 Van Der Linden, Clifton
A1 Kiran, Tara
YR 2024
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/22/Supplement_1/6448.abstract
AB Context Primary care is the bedrock of an effective healthcare system. More than one-in-five people in Canada have no access to primary care yet little is known about their experiences and preferences.Objective To characterize the healthcare-seeking behaviours and preferences for system reform of Canadians without a primary care clinician.Study Design and Analysis National bilingual online survey distributed in Fall 2022.Setting Canada.Population Studied Adults 18 years and over in Canada.Outcome Measures Sociodemographic characteristics of people without a family physician or nurse practitioner (primary care clinician), related healthcare seeking behaviours, importance of primary care attributes, and preferences towards reorganizing primary care.Results 22.0% of respondents reported not having a primary care clinician. This was significantly more likely for those who identified as: men, younger than 65, residents of British Columbia, Quebec, or Atlantic Canada, French-speakers, college- or trade school-educated, making $30,000-$69,999, or having poor or fair health. 83.1% of respondents without a primary care clinician said they were looking for one. Men and those without private health benefits were significantly less likely to be looking. Significantly more respondents without a primary care clinician, versus those with a clinician, reported visiting a walk-in clinic in the last year (71.7% vs. 41.2%) and they were significantly less likely to be satisfied (40.5% vs. 55.3%). Respondents without a primary care clinician were more open to a variety of system reforms or ways of delivering care that would expand team- and neighbourhood-based care.Conclusion Canadians without a primary care clinician differ from their attached peers by sociodemographic characteristics, walk-in clinic utilization patterns, and preferences for system reform. Their experiences should be considered when designing primary care reforms.