Rural residents drive furthest for specialists, while millennials most often consider moving
More than half of Canadian adults have delayed or skipped medical care because getting it was too difficult, and 61 percent worry about how quickly they could reach care in an emergency.
The Care Radius Report by telemedicine provider MedExpress Canada found that 21 percent of respondents have no family doctor.
Quebec recorded the highest share without one among the four largest provinces at 38 percent, followed by Ontario at 19 percent, and British Columbia and Alberta at 17 percent each.
Long appointment waits ranked as the top barrier to care at 64 percent, according to the report, ahead of emergency room waits at 59 percent and a shortage of specialists or doctors at 43 percent.
Distance placed near the bottom of the list nationally at 18 percent.
Forty-eight percent of respondents waited longer than a week for their last routine appointment while 23 percent consider a wait beyond a week reasonable.
Seventy-six percent of rural residents travel 30 minutes or more to reach specialist care, compared with 57 percent of suburban and 49 percent of urban residents.
Ontario led the four largest provinces at 60 percent, followed by Quebec at 55 percent, British Columbia at 52 percent, and Alberta at 45 percent.
Forty-eight percent of rural respondents said their location puts them at a healthcare disadvantage against 15 percent of urban residents.
Thirty-six percent of rural residents said half or more of their care feels out of reach, as did 21 percent of urban and 20 percent of suburban respondents.
Worry about emergency response speed ran at 64 percent urban, 63 percent rural, and 56 percent suburban.
Twenty-seven percent of respondents have moved or seriously considered moving for better healthcare access.
Millennials led at 31 percent, followed by Gen Z at 27 percent, Gen X at 21 percent, and baby boomers at 10 percent.
Quebec residents were the most likely to have moved or weighed it at 29 percent compared with Ontario and Alberta at 26 percent each and British Columbia at 24 percent.
Delayed or skipped care fell with age from 59 percent of Gen Z and 57 percent of millennials to 47 percent of Gen X and 36 percent of baby boomers.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents agreed that easy access to quality care outside a major metro area requires wealth.
Forty-three percent of rural respondents said they would be comfortable using telehealth for weight loss treatment against 40 percent of urban and suburban residents each.
Twenty-eight percent of those who have used or considered telehealth cited greater privacy or discretion.
Reported difficulty accessing weight loss treatment ran at 30 percent rural, 29 percent urban, and 27 percent suburban, which the report attributed to treatment availability rather than distance.
