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Table 5 Impact of access abilities on indicators of problematic access1

From: Does healthcare inequity reflect variations in peoples’ abilities to access healthcare? Results from a multi-jurisdictional interventional study in two high-income countries

Access Ability

Access difficulty in last 6 months (outcome in regression model)

Difficulty getting needed care or advice

OR

(95% CI)

Forgone care due to reported difficulty

OR

(95% CI)

Use of ER due to reported difficulty

OR

(95% CI)

Any ER use

OR

(95% CI)

Any hospitalization

OR

(95% CI)

Ability to seek

0.36 (0.24; 0.53)

0.42 (0.28; 0.65)

0.60 (0.37; 0.97)

0.69 (0.49; 0.97)

0.82 (0.53; 1.28)

n.s.

Ability to reach

0.62 (0.44; 0.90)

0.56 (0.38; 0.83)

0.70 (0.45; 1.09) n.s.

0.75 (0.54; 1.05)

p = 0.10

0.84 (0.55; 1.29)

n.s.

[In]ability to pay

5.41 (2.07; 14.2)

4.77 (1.91; 11.89)

3.71 (1.59; 8.69)

2.17 (1.01; 4.65)

1.77 (0.73; 4.29)

n.s.

Ability to explain (Engage-1)

0.60 (0.44; 0.82)

0.65 (0.46; 0.91)

0.65 (0.44; 0.96)

0.78 (0.59; 1.04)

p = 0.09

0.91 (0.62;1.32)

n.s.

Ability to self-manage (Engage-2)

0.36 (0.24; 0.56)

0.40 (0.25; 0.62)

0.44 (0.28; 0.69)

0.60 (0.42; 0.84)

0.93 (0.60; 1.44)

n.s.

Sum of abilities

0.41 (0.30; 0.55)

0.41 (0.29; 0.57)

0.58 (0.41; 0.82)

0.77 (0.61; 0.97)

0.99 (0.73; 1.33)

n.s.

  1. 1 OR indicates the increased likelihood of reporting the access difficulty associated with each unit increase in the access ability in separate logistic regression models, controlling for chronic illness burden as proxy of healthcare need
  2. Abbreviations: ER emergency room, n.s. not significant, OR odds ratio