TABLE 1.
Characteristics of patients accessing specialized healthcare services
| SPECIALIST VISITS (N=3,616) (%) |
ELECTIVE SURGERY (N=1,911) (%) |
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS (N=2,297) (%) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiting time unacceptable | |||
| Yes | 29.4 | 17.3 | 21.5 |
| No | 70.6 | 82.7 | 78.5 |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 60.2 | 56.5 | 51.7 |
| Male | 39.8 | 43.5 | 48.3 |
| Age group | |||
| <35 | 26.7 | 24.0 | 17.2 |
| 34–64 | 57.1 | 51.8 | 60.2 |
| 65+ | 16.2 | 24.2 | 22.6 |
| Region | |||
| East | 8.5 | 10.0 | 9.2 |
| Quebec | 20.2 | 16.9 | 19.3 |
| Ontario | 39.6 | 39.5 | 42.6 |
| West | 31.7 | 33.6 | 29.0 |
| Residence | |||
| Rural | 17.6 | 18.6 | 17.2 |
| Urban | 82.4 | 81.4 | 82.8 |
| Education | |||
| Less than high school | 16.5 | 20.9 | 20.6 |
| High school/some post-secondary | 24.7 | 28.3 | 27.1 |
| Post-secondary degree/diploma | 58.8 | 50.8 | 52.3 |
| Income | |||
| Lowest quartile | 5.6 | 8.9 | 8.5 |
| Lower-middle quartile | 16.0 | 16.5 | 18.0 |
| Upper-middle quartile | 32.5 | 29.1 | 30.1 |
| Highest quartile | 34.8 | 30.0 | 27.1 |
| Missing | 11.1 | 15.5 | 16.3 |
| Health status | |||
| Fair/poor | 18.0 | 18.4 | 27.3 |
| Good | 31.0 | 31.3 | 37.2 |
| Excellent/very good | 51.0 | 50.3 | 35.5 |
| Some restriction | |||
| Yes | 21.7 | 21.4 | 32.4 |
| No | 78.3 | 78.6 | 67.6 |
| Waiting time | |||
| <1 month | 47.9 | 17.4 | 57.5 |
| 1–3 months | 40.7 | 42.0 | 31.0 |
| >3 months | 11.4 | 40.6 | 11.5 |
| Waiting affected life | |||
| Yes | 18.5 | 9.8 | 14.0 |
| No | 81.5 | 90.2 | 86.0 |