Pucchio Aoife M R, Stranges Saverio, Ali Shehzad
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Disabil Health J. 2025 Oct;18(4):101846. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2025.101846. Epub 2025 Apr 30.
People with disabilities may experience disparities in access, quality, and outcomes of care compared to those without disabilities. However, there is limited Canadian evidence on the level of unmet need for care in this population.
This study investigated the level of unmet health needs in the Canadian population, with and without disabilities, as well as the factors associated with unmet needs, using a nationally representative survey.
This cross-sectional study used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 60,995) to examine self-reported unmet need for health care in the last 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between unmet needs, disability status, sociodemographic characteristics, and having a regular primary care provider.
Individuals with a disability were over four times more likely to report unmet health care needs than those without a disability, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. The most common reason for unmet needs was poor availability of care, including long wait times and gaps in regional care. Having a regular care provider significantly reduced the likelihood of having unmet health care needs; however, disability status remained an independent determinant of unmet need.
The findings highlight the need for targeted policy initiatives to reduce health care access disparities among individuals with disabilities. Improving the availability and timely provision of care that is responsive to the specific needs of this population may help address unmet needs.
与非残疾人士相比，残疾人士在医疗服务的可及性、质量和结果方面可能存在差异。然而，加拿大关于这一人群未满足的医疗需求水平的证据有限。
本研究使用具有全国代表性的调查，调查了加拿大有残疾和无残疾人群中未满足的健康需求水平，以及与未满足需求相关的因素。
这项横断面研究使用了加拿大社区健康调查的数据（n = 60,995），以检查过去12个月中自我报告的未满足的医疗保健需求。多变量逻辑回归模型用于评估未满足需求、残疾状况、社会人口学特征以及是否有定期的初级保健提供者之间的关联。
在调整社会人口学因素后，残疾人士报告未满足医疗保健需求的可能性是非残疾人士的四倍多。未满足需求的最常见原因是医疗服务可及性差，包括等待时间长和地区医疗服务差距。有定期的医疗服务提供者显著降低了未满足医疗保健需求的可能性；然而，残疾状况仍然是未满足需求的一个独立决定因素。
研究结果强调需要有针对性的政策举措，以减少残疾人士在医疗服务可及性方面的差距。提高针对这一人群特定需求的医疗服务的可及性和及时提供，可能有助于满足未满足的需求。
