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. 2006 Nov;2(2):43-51.

Waiting for care in Canada: findings from the health services access survey

Claudia Sanmartin  1 , Fritz Pierre, Stéphane Tremblay
Affiliations

Waiting for care in Canada: findings from the health services access survey

Claudia Sanmartin et al. Healthc Policy. 2006 Nov.

Abstract
in English, French

Waiting for care has been and continues to be a major issue for the healthcare sector in Canada. While considerable gains have been made regarding valid and reliable information on waiting times, gaps remain. Statistics Canada continues to provide information regarding patients' experiences in accessing care at the national and provincial levels, including how long individuals waited for specialized services, through the Health Services Access Survey. The survey offers several advantages, including waiting time information that is comparable across time and space, enhanced patient information and information regarding patients' experiences in waiting for care. The results for 2005 indicate that median waiting time for all specialized services was between 3 and 4 weeks and remained relatively stable between 2003 and 2005. Waiting times for specialist visits did not vary by income. In addition to being asked how long they waited, individuals were asked about their experiences in waiting for care. While the majority of individuals waiting for care indicated that their waiting time was acceptable, there continues to be a proportion of Canadians who feel they are waiting an unacceptably long time for care. Between 11% and 18% of individuals waiting for care indicated that their life was affected by waiting.

Les temps d’attente pour obtenir des soins ont été et continuent d’être un problème majeur dans le secteur de la santé au Canada. Bien que d’importants progrès aient été réalisés dans la compilation de données valides et fiables sur les temps d’attente, il existe encore des fossés considérables. Statistique Canada continue de publier des données sur le vécu des patients en matière d’accès aux soins aux échelons national et provincial – y compris les temps d’attente pour les services spécialisés – grâce à l’Enquête sur l’accès aux services de santé. L’Enquête offre plusieurs avantages, notamment des données sur les temps d’attente comparables dans le temps et dans l’espace, des données améliorées sur les patients et des données sur le vécu des patients qui attendent de recevoir des soins. Les résultats de 2005 indiquent que le temps d’attente médian pour tous les services spécialisés était de 3 à 4 semaines et qu’il est demeuré relativement stable entre 2003 et 2005. Les temps d’attente pour consulter des spécialistes n’ont pas varié selon le revenu. En plus de les interroger sur leur temps d’attente, on a demandé aux répondants de relater leur vécu pendant cette attente. Tandis que la majorité des patients qui attendaient de recevoir des soins ont indiqué que leur temps d’attente était acceptable, il y a un pourcentage de Canadiens qui sont encore d’avis qu’ils attendent beaucoup trop longtemps pour obtenir des soins. Entre 11 % et 18 % des personnes en attente de recevoir des soins ont indiqué que cette attente avait nui à leur vie.

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