Health Fact Sheets
Primary Health Care Providers, 2016
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
In 2016, 15.8% of Canadians aged 12 and older (roughly 4.8 million people) reported that they did not have a regular health care provider they see or talk to when they need care or advice for their health.Note 1 The proportion of females without a regular health care provider declined between 2015 and 2016 (13.1 %, 11.9 %).Note 2 For males, there was no change between 2015 and 2016.
Significantly more males (19.9%) than females (11.9%) reported they were without a regular health care provider. Males aged 18 to 34 were more likely than any other age group to be without a regular health care provider. Among females, the rate was highest for those aged 12 to 17 and 18 to 34. The group that had the lowest proportion of people without a health care provider were Canadians aged 65 and older (6.5% for males and 5.3% for females; Chart 1).
Data table for Chart 1
| Age group (years) | Percent | Confidence Interval | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower 95% limit | Upper 95% limit | ||
| Males | |||
| Total (12 and older) | 19.9 | 19.1 | 20.7 |
| 12 to 17 | 18.3 | 16.2 | 20.4 |
| 18 to 34 | 33.3 | 31.4 | 35.3 |
| 35 to 49 | 21.7 | 19.8 | 23.6 |
| 50 to 64 | 13.4 | 12.1 | 14.7 |
| 65 and older | 6.5 | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| Females | |||
| Total (12 and older) | 11.9 | 11.2 | 12.5 |
| 12 to 17 | 16.2 | 14.2 | 18.2 |
| 18 to 34 | 18.6 | 17.1 | 20.1 |
| 35 to 49 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 13.5 |
| 50 to 64 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 9.7 |
| 65 and older | 5.3 | 4.6 | 6.0 |
|
Note: A regular health care provider is defined as a health professional that a person sees or talks to when they need care or advice about their health. This can include a family doctor or general practitioner, medical specialist, or nurse practitioner. 95% confidence intervals are denoted by vertical lines overlaid on the bars in this chart. They indicate the degree of variability in the estimates. Source: Canadian Community Health Survey, 2016. |
|||
Of the 4.8 million people without a primary health care provider, the most commonly reported reasons were that they had not tried to find one (28.7%) or that they did not need one, but had a usual place of care (26.3%).Note 3
The proportion of residents who were without a primary health care provider was lower than the national average (15.8%) in:
- Newfoundland and Labrador (9.9%)
- Prince Edward Island (10.8%)
- Nova Scotia (10.3%)
- New Brunswick (9.7%)
- Ontario (9.7%)
The proportion of residents who were without a primary health care provider was higher than the national average in:
- Quebec (25.6%)
- Saskatchewan (18.7%)
- Alberta (18.0%)
The proportion of residents who were without a primary health care provider was similar to the national average in Manitoba and British Columbia.
In 2016, Aboriginal peoplesNote 4 were more likely to report they did not have a primary health care provider (19.2%) compared to the non-Aboriginal population (15.8%).
Start of text box
About primary health care
For many Canadians, the first point of contact for medical care is their regular health care provider. Being without a regular health care provider is associated with fewer visits to general practitioners or specialists, who can play a role in the early screening and treatment of medical conditions.
A regular health care provider is defined as a health professional that a person sees or talks to when they need care or advice about their health. This can include a family doctor or general practitioner, medical specialist, or nurse practitioner.
End of text box
References
Nabalamba, A., and W. Millar. 2007. “Going to the doctor”. Health Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. Vol. 18 no. 1. (accessed January 11, 2017)
Carrière, G. 2005. “Consultations with doctors and nurses”. Health Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003. Vol. 16 no. 4. (accessed January 11, 2017)
Data
Additional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey are available from CANSIM table 105–0508.
Notes
- Date modified: