Use of hospital emergency rooms

Some 3.3 million people, or one out of every eight Canadians aged 15 or older, had their most recent contact with a health professional, or treatment for an injury, in a hospital emergency room in 2003, according to a new study.

Estimates from the Canadian Community Health Survey indicate that men were slightly more likely than women to have used emergency room (ER) services.

Among both sexes, the most likely to do so were aged 15 to 24. About 20% of men and 18% of women in this age range received treatment for a serious activity-limiting injury, or contacted a health professional, in an ER.

At older ages, ER use for both sexes declined, falling to 11% among seniors.

Household income was a factor in ER use. About 13% of people in the highest income group had received their most recent treatment in an ER, compared with 18% of people in the lowest income group.

Heavy users of medical care

This study supports results of other research showing that people who frequent emergency rooms for treatment are heavy users of other medical services.

People who reported having a "regular" doctor were just as likely to report ER use as those who said they did not have a regular physician. However, 21% of those who had consulted a doctor more than five times during the year before the survey reported using an ER, almost double the proportion (12%) for those who went to the doctor less frequently.

This may reflect their need for ongoing care related to the health problem or injury that took them to the ER.

The survey also asked ER users if they were satisfied with their care. About three-quarters said they had received excellent or good care. Another 16% felt their care was fair, and 11% said it was poor.

However, 20% of ER users said that they were "somewhat" or "very dissatisfied" with the way services were provided.

Among the provinces and territories, there were striking differences in satisfaction with the provision of ER services. About 24% of Ontario residents reported dissatisfaction. By contrast, 11% of ER users in Yukon were dissatisfied.

For more information on this article, contact Gisèle Carrière (604-666-5907; gisele.carriere@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.

Second-hand smoke: One-third of non-smokers regularly exposed

One-third of Canadians who are non-smokers say they are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke, according to a new study.

In 2003, 33% of non-smokers reported that in the previous month they had been exposed to second-hand smoke on most days in at least one of four locations: in public, at work, at home or in a private vehicle.

The study, which uses data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, shows that people in their late teens are most at risk of exposure to second-hand smoke.

Overall, non-smokers were most commonly exposed to second-hand smoke in public places. But children were most at risk of exposure to smoking at home. Among 12-year-olds, 24% were regularly sujected to second-hand smoke in their homes and 16% in public places.

Regardless of the setting, men were more likely than women to have been exposed to second-hand smoke. About 23% of male non-smokers reported having been exposed to second-hand smoke in public places, compared with 17% of their female counterparts.

Rates of exposure varied among the provinces and territories. In 2003, exposure rates in Ontario and British Columbia either matched or were significantly below the national levels in all four locations. By contrast, except in public places, rates in Quebec were significantly above the national level.

For more information on this article, contact Claudio E. Pérez (613-951-1733; claudio.perez@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.

Other articles

This edition of Health Reports contains three other articles. "Shorter hospital stays for breast cancer" examines trends in and factors influencing the length of stay for female breast cancer patients who were hospitalized between 1981 and 2000. Since the early 1980s, their average length of stay declined from 15.1 days to 4.5 days. Declines occurred regardless of age group, stage of cancer, procedure and comorbid conditions.

For more information on this article, contact Aggie Adamczyk (613-941-8189; aggie_adamczyk@hc-sc.gc.ca), Public Health Agency of Canada.

"Dental consultations" shows increases in the percentage of people who consult dentists. In 2003, 63% of those aged 15 or older had visited their dentist in the previous year, up from an estimated 47% in 1978/79.

For more information on this article, contact Wayne J. Millar (613-951-1631; wayne.millar@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.

Seniors make up just 14% of the population aged 12 and older, yet according to "Vision problems among seniors," they accounted for 23% of all people with vision problems, and nearly 20% of all consultations with eye doctors in 2003.

For more information on this article, contact Wayne J. Millar (613-951-1631; wayne.millar@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3226.

Complete articles appear in the October 2004 issue of Health Reports, Vol. 16, No. 1 (82-003-XIE, $17/$48; 82-003-XPE, $22/$63), which is now available.

For more information about Health Reports, contact Anik Lacroix (613-951-1807; anik.lacroix@statcan.gc.ca), Health Statistics Division.