Timely access to primary care provider

This concept is assessed through two indicators, one reflecting an objective measure of timely access and the other a subjective measure. Both indicators ask about the most recent consultation with a primary care provider in the past 12 months:

• Wait time (in days or months) between requesting care for a non-urgent need and speaking with a primary health care provider. (Objective measure)
• Satisfaction with wait time between requesting care for a non-urgent need and speaking with a primary health care provider. (Subjective measure)

These indicators are often reported as:

• Proportion of the population who reported being able to consult a health provider when they were sick or concerned (on the same day or next day).
• Proportion of the population who were satisfied or very satisfied with the wait time to access a health provider when they were sick or concerned.

Wait time is defined as the time between when the respondent requested care when sick or concerned about their health and when they consulted with a primary health care provider.

This excludes visits to the emergency department, scheduled check-ups or routine testing, and consultations with optometrists, dentists or medical specialists (e.g., cardiologists, oncologists). It includes both in-person and virtual consultations, such as over the telephone, by video, or by written correspondence.

Both objective and subjective aspects of timely access are measured in the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).

Respondents are asked:

Still thinking about this most recent consultation, how long did you have to wait between the time you requested care and when you consulted [this primary health care provider/your family doctor/nurse practitioner/your other health professional who is your regular health care provider/a member from your team of health professionals]?

Would you say:

• The same day
• The next day
• 2 to 3 days
• 4 to 6 days
• 1 week to less than 2 weeks
• 2 weeks to less than 1 month
• 1 month to less than 3 months
• 3 months to less than 6 months
• 6 months or more

Still thinking about this most recent consultation, how satisfied were you with the time you had to wait between requesting care and when you consulted with [this primary health care provider/your family doctor/nurse practitioner/your other health professional who is your regular health care provider/a member from your team of health professionals]?

Would you say:

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

In the Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI), respondents are asked:

In the past 12 months, did you consult a health care provider for a non-urgent primary health care need?

• Yes
• No

How long did you have to wait between the time you requested care and when you spoke with a health care provider? (Objective measure)

Would you say:

• On the same day
• The next day
• 2 to 3 days
• 4 to 6 days
• 1 week to less than 2 weeks
• 2 weeks to less than 1 month
• 1 month to less than 3 months
• 3 months to less than 6 months
• 6 months or more

How satisfied were you with the time you had to wait between requesting care and when you spoke with a primary health care provider? (Subjective measure)

Would you say:

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

• Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
• Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences (SHCAE-PSC)
• Canadian Veteran Health Survey (CVHS)
• Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI)

• Health care access and experiences among Indigenous people, 2024 (The Daily, November 4, 2024)
• A snapshot of the health of Canadians (Statistics Canada – Infographics, November 29, 2023)
• Access to health care (Health of Canadians, September 13, 2023)
• Primary health care providers, 2019 (Health Fact Sheets, October 22, 2020)
• Difficulty accessing health care services in Canada (Health at a Glance, December 8, 2016)