Start your survey
Have you been invited to participate in this survey via email or mail? To log in to the survey, complete the following steps.
Step 1: Visit the electronic questionnaire portal and select Start my survey.
Step 2: Enter your secure access code (you will find this code in the invitation letter or email you previously received from Statistics Canada).
Step 3: Complete the survey.
Are you missing your secure access code, or do you need help?
Phone:
1-877-949-9492
(TTY: 1-800-363-7629)
Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern time
If you use an operator-assisted relay service, you can call us during regular business hours. You do not need to authorize the operator to contact us.
Email:
The Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences – Primary, Emergency and Hospital Care (SHCAE-PEHC) aims to better understand how Canadians navigate the health care system, including any challenges or barriers they may face. The survey covers various topics such as access to and experiences with primary health care, emergency room care, hospital care, unmet health care needs, prescription costs, and insurance coverage.
Survey results may help Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and provincial ministries of health in making informed decisions about the delivery of health care services and in developing and improving health care programs and policies to better serve the Canadian population.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.
Collection period:
From January 5, 2026 to June 7, 2026
Mail-out or email: January 5, 2026
Collection methods:
Electronic questionnaire and telephone interview. Respondents may be contacted by mail, email or text message.
Survey participation:
Voluntary
Confidentiality
Social Survey:
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
To avoid duplication of surveys, Statistics Canada may enter into agreements to share the data from this survey with provincial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec (for Quebec respondents). The Institut de la statistique du Québec and provincial ministries of health may make this data available to local health authorities.
Data shared with your ministry of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec may also include identifiers such as name, address, telephone number and health number. Local health authorities would receive only survey responses and the postal code.
To reduce the number of questions in this questionnaire, Statistics Canada will use information from your tax forms submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency. With your consent, Statistics Canada will share this information from your tax forms with provincial ministries of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec (for Quebec respondents). These organizations have agreed to keep the information confidential and to use it only for statistical and research purposes.
Social survey with planned linkage:
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with information from the tax data of all members of your household. Your provincial ministry of health and the Institut de la statistique du Québec for Quebec respondents may combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.
Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about:
- access to and use of primary health care
- emergency room care
- hospital care
- unmet health care needs
- barriers to care
- prescription medications
- out-of-pocket expenses.