Waiting time for medical specialist consultations in Canada, 2007.

Gisèle Carrière · Claudia Sanmartin

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Healthcare Systems and Technology Health Services Management and Policy Primary Care and Health Outcomes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Waiting for specialist consultations can represent a substantial component of overall waiting time in the continuum of care. However, relatively little is known about the factors associated with how long patients wait for an initial specialist consultation. DATA AND METHODS: The analysis is based on a subsample of 5,515 respondents aged 15 or older to the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey who had consulted a specialist about a new condition in the previous 12 months and reported a waiting time. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify patient- and provider-related factors associated with waiting time. RESULTS: Female patients were less likely than male patients to see a specialist within a month. The nature of the new condition and the source of referral were significantly associated with waiting time. Compared with those referred by a family physician, patients referred by another specialist or a health care provider other than a physician, or who did not require a referral, were more likely to have a shorter waiting time. For men, but not women, household income and immigrant status were associated with waiting time. INTERPRETATION: This analysis suggests that factors beyond medical need are associated with how long patients wait to see a specialist. More research could usefully explore decision-making and communication processes between primary care physicians and specialists to better understand how urgency is assessed, how patients are triaged for specialist consultations, and how these patterns differ among various groups of patients.

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References

2005Societal and Individual Determinants of Medical Care Utilization in the United States 2000Socio-economic status and the utilisation of physicians' services: results from the Canadian National Population Health Survey 2002Canadian community health survey--methodological overview.2000Communication breakdown in the outpatient referral process 2003Socioeconomic disparities in health care use: Does universal coverage reduce inequalities in health?2006Variation in health services utilization among ethnic populations 2004Socioeconomic Status, Service Patterns, and Perceptions of Care Among Survivors of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Canada 1999Reasons for outpatient referrals from generalists to specialists

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