Great River Health Survey shows concerns about access to services

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More than 40% of respondents to the Great River Ontario Health Team (OHT) survey last year flagged access to care as a problem.

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Great River OHT released the patient experience survey results on Wednesday during an in-person and online session at the Cornwall Public Library.

Facilitated by engagement and population health specialist Sarah Good, the 15-minute, 56-question survey was conducted between July 1 and October 31 with the help of the Health System Performance Network (HSPN) and saw 499 respondents. Of the respondents, 88% identified as white and 75% identified as female. Three percent of respondents identified as Indigenous and less than five percent were under the age of 25.

That was a concern among audience members in the room and online Wednesday, with some commenting that they hoped to see representation from a broader demographic, as well as surveys available in more languages ​​than English and French.

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Good said a substantial effort has been made to reach out to different groups of respondents, including newcomers to the community, and said he hopes as Great River OHT gains trust and recognition, more people will feel comfortable share your feedback. Good also pointed out a caveat in the survey, which required participants to have signed up with a healthcare provider in the past 12 months, automatically excluding anyone who fell outside that period or wasn’t set up with a local. Medical service provider.

“I think overall (our goal) was to better understand the needs of our population. We want to increase fair and equal access … understand some of the issues that exist in the community and get data,” Good said.

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Analyzing the results, most respondents said they were healthy. The biggest regional health problems identified were chronic pain and anxiety/depression. In terms of the most frequently accessed health care providers, primary care physicians were the most searched for, followed by pharmacies.

More worryingly, over 40% of respondents felt that accessing healthcare was difficult or very difficult and waiting times were too long. More than 40% believed that emergency department visits could be avoided if they had access to regular healthcare professionals. One-third of respondents felt they received conflicting information from health care providers about managing their health.

When looking at socio-economics, Good said the strongest correlation was found between social isolation and poor health, as well as some respondents not knowing how to access the opportunities available within digital health services.

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The data showed that younger respondents, especially the under-25 category, reported feeling the most depressed and had the highest amount of drug use and addiction.

Good encouraged stakeholders to attend a Vibrant Communities Community Spotlight event on May 31, where they will look to the future of local health care by discussing and considering the survey results.

As for how the data will inform Great River OHT projects, Good said a number of new methods of care delivery are being considered in an effort to reduce wait times.

“I think this will help push us in a more concerted direction … to either validate the work we’re doing or change paths,” she said.

There are 58 OHTs in Ontario and six OH regions. In the OH East Region, there are 12 OHTs, including the Great River, covering an area that includes the City of Cornwall, Akwesasne, SDG, Russell Township and a rural portion of southeast Ottawa.

For more information on the Great River OHT and survey results, visit www.groht.ca.

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