Individuals with chronic conditions were more likely to experience difficulties accessing health care services during the pandemic than those without chronic conditions

Released: 2022-11-16

Individuals with chronic conditions have higher levels of health care usage and may be at higher risk of more severe outcomes from COVID-19. Consequently, they may have experienced greater difficulty accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic because of restrictions on health care services.

The study "Difficulties accessing health care in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparing individuals with and without chronic conditions" examined data from the Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic to determine the extent to which individuals with and without chronic conditions experienced difficulties accessing health care services during the 12 months prior to the survey, administered from March to May 2021.

The study found that, among individuals who indicated a need for health care during the 12 months prior to the survey, those with one or more chronic conditions lasting 6 months or more (e.g., lung conditions, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, cancer) were more likely to report having an appointment cancelled, rescheduled, or delayed because of the pandemic than those with no chronic conditions. This difference remained even when accounting for other demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Individuals with multiple chronic conditions were also more likely than those with no chronic conditions to have delayed contacting a medical professional because of fear of exposure to COVID-19 in health care settings.

Some demographic, socioeconomic, and other health characteristics were also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing difficulties accessing health care during the pandemic. Since unmet health care needs have been found to negatively affect individuals' health outcomes, findings from this study can inform Canadian policy makers, health care authorities, and health care professionals about which groups may be at greater risk of deterioration in their health due to difficulties accessing health care during the pandemic.

Products

The article "Difficulties accessing health care in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparing individuals with and without chronic conditions" is now available in the November 2022 online issue of Health Reports, Vol. 33, No. 11 (Catalogue number82-003-X).

This issue of Health Reports also contains the articles "Health associations with meeting the new Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommendations according to body mass index classes in Canadian adults" and " Data profile: The Statistics Canada Biobank."

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).