utilization of physician services in Ontario by adults
Subtitle: results from the Ontario Health Survey
By: W. J. McIsaac, V. Goel, C. D. Naylor.
Contributors: McIsaac, W. J.; Goel, V.; Naylor, C. D.; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario.
Series: ICES working paper series -- no. 20
Publisher: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario
Published: 1993
Place of publication: Ontario
Language: eng
Number of pages: 67
Subjects: Health Services Needs and Demand -- statistics & numerical data; Health Surveys; Office Visits -- utilization; Physician's Practice Patterns; Health Status; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Female; Humans; Male; Ontario
Description: OBJECTIVE.  To examine current trends in the utilization of general practitioner and specialist services by adults in Ontario, the sociodemographic characteristics of persons who contact physicians, and features associated with higher utilization levels of physician services.  DESIGN.  A population-based cross-sectional survey of 45,650 Ontario adults.  Multiple sociodemographic characteristics, need-based variables, health behaviour and insurance variables from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey (OHS) used as factors potentially related to utilization.  OUTCOME MEASURES. Self-reported visits to physicians in a 1 year period were considered separately for males and females for those who reported no visits compared to those who made at least 1 visit.  For those persons reporting at least 1 visit, persons reporting 6 or more visits during a one year period were compared to those reporting 1-5 visits.  All outcomes were considered separately for general practitioners and specialists.  RESULTS.  During a one year period, 75.6% of males and 86.0% of females made at least 1 visit to a general practitioner, and 25.2% of males and 36.3% of females reported at least 1 visit to a specialist.  Differences between males and females were primarily due to differences in physician visits for the age groups 16-24 and 25-44. Variables indicating a need for medical care were more strongly associated with all categories of physician visits than any other factors.  Whereas socioeconomic variables were not associated with males and females making at least 1 visit to a general practitioner (GP), males in the highest income level had an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.67 for making 6 or more GP visits compared to a male in a low income level.  High income females had an OR of 0.66 for 6 or more GP visits compared to low income females.  However, the trend was opposite for adults who reported making at least 1 visit to a specialist.  Males in the highest income level had an OR of 1.42 for a specialist visit compared to males in the lowest income level. Similarly, females in the highest income level had an OR of 1.25 for a specialist visit compared to those in the lowest income level.  Persons who reported that they did not have prescription drug insurance were less likely to make at least 1 visit to either a GP or a specialist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Notes: October 1993.

Includes bibliographical references. (35 ref.)