Public attitudes on access to service
CMAJ 1997;156:1680
© 1997 Canadian Medical Association
According to a 1996 poll conducted by the Angus Reid Group, the proportion of Canadians rating the health care system as excellent or very good stood at just 43% last year, a decline from the total of more than 60% recorded in 1991. Health care consistently ranks among the top 5 issues identified by Canadians as an important concern facing the country.
A 1997 survey conducted by Angus Reid for the CMA shows that 60% of Canadians feel that government spending on health care services has decreased over the last couple of years and that this has negatively affected the quality of services in their community. A year earlier just more than half (52%) of respondents had expressed this opinion. Concern is particularly strong in Atlantic Canada (75%) and Alberta (67%).
Many Canadians believe that access to various health care services has worsened over the last couple of years. In particular, well over 60% of Canadians now feel that waiting times for surgery and hospital emergency services have worsened, as has the availability of nursing care in hospitals. And 50% of respondents believe that waiting times for diagnostic tests such as CT or MRI scans are longer today. Both percentages have increased since a 1996 poll was conducted for the CMA. -- Lynda Buske
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