Abstract
Purpose: To explore poor Edmontonians’ access to medical treatment services.
Methods: Data were collected during interviews with 130 poor Edmontonians.
Results: 38% of study participants had failed to obtain physician services when they were sick or bothered by a health problem, and 40% who had been prescribed a medication had not filled the prescription. Participants experienced three main barriers to access: lack of money, lack of comprehensive health care coverage, and lack of affordable transportation. Findings suggest that a variety of health care and social assistance policies limit access to treatment services for people living in poor families.
Conclusion: Despite the principles of the Canada Health Act, access to medical treatment is not based solely on need, but is tied, in part, to income. There is a need for health care, social, and economic policies that aim to reduce the barriers that limit access to physician services and prescription medications by people living in poverty.
Résumé
Objet: Explorer l’accès aux services thérapeutiques essentiels dont bénéficient les résidents(es) défavorisé(e)s de la ville d’Edmonton.
Méthodes: Les données ont été colligées lors d’entrevues effectuées auprès de 130 résidents(es) d’Edmonton vivant sous le seuil de la pauvreté.
Résultats: 38% des participants(es) à l’étude ne se sont pas prévalu(e)s des services d’un médecin lorsque cela s’avéra nécessaire et 40% n’ont pas fait remplir leur ordonnance médicale. Trois principaux obstacles semblent contribuer à limiter l’accès des participants(es) aux soins de santé de base: l’insuffisance de moyens financiers, une assurance médicale partielle, et l’absence de moyens de transport abordables. Les résultats suggèrent qu’une variété de politiques sur les soins de santé et sur l’aide sociale restreignent l’accès aux services thérapeutiques essentiels qu’ont les individus vivant dans des familles défavorisées.
Conclusion: Malgré les principes qui soustendent la Loi canadienne sur la santé, l’accès aux soins de santé n’est pas uniquement fondé sur le besoin, il est également partiellement lié au revenu. Il devient donc impératif d’implanter des politiques de soins de santé ainsi que des politiques sociales et économiques visant à réduire les obstacles qui limitent l’accès aux services thérapeutiques de base et aux ordonnances médicales pour les personnes vivant dans la pauvreté.
Footnotes
Financial support for this study by a research grant (#6609-1963-55) from the National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) of Health Canada is gratefully acknowledged. The views presented are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Health Canada.
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