Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41285627›Full record

ArticleCanadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien

Experiences and preferences of people without access to primary care: Results from a national cross-sectional survey in Canada.

Alexander Gabinet-Equihua, Maryam Daneshvarfard, Ri Wang, Alexander Beyer, Danielle Martin, Amanda Condon, Alan Katz, Lindsay Hedden, Danielle Brown-Shreves, Jasmin Kay and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Patient engagement and feasibility of a QR code-based digital information tool in the emergency department.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2026
    Observational
  2. A stitch in time.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Alexander Gabinet-EquihuaFamily physician in Vancouver, BC.
Maryam DaneshvarfardInternational Medical Graduate and Research Coordinator at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in Toronto, Ont.
Ri WangAnalyst at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions.
Alexander BeyerPostdoctoral fellow in the Department of Political Science at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont, and Senior Data Scientist at Vox Pop Labs in Hamilton.
Danielle MartinChair in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, Professor at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, and a family physician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Women's College Hospital in Toronto.
Amanda CondonAssociate Professor and Head of the Department of Family Medicine in the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
Alan KatzProfessor in the Max Rady College of Medicine, the Department of Community Health Sciences, and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba.
Lindsay HeddenAssociate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC.
Danielle Brown-ShrevesAssistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
Jasmin KayDirector at MASS LBP in Toronto.
Peter MacLeodFounder and Principal at MASS LBP.
Clifton van der LindenAssociate Professor in the Department of Political Science at McMaster University, and Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Vox Pop Labs.
Tara KiranStaff physician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions; is Fidani Chair of Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto; and is Associate Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. tara.kiran@utoronto.ca.

Funding

Non-US Government Research Support type
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo understand the health care-seeking behaviour and preferences of people in Canada who report not having a primary care clinician (PCC; family doctor or nurse practitioner).

designAn anonymous, online, national cross-sectional survey was conducted. It was available from September 2022 to October 2022 in English and French. Responses were weighted based on sociodemographic factors to approximate the population of Canada.

settingCanada.

participantsPeople aged 18 years or older.

main outcome measuresCharacteristics, health care-seeking behaviour, and preferences of people without a primary care clinician compared to people with one.

resultsA total of 9279 completed surveys were analyzed. About 21.8% of respondents said they did not have a primary care clinician. Among these, 83.1% said they were trying to find one and 66.2% of those looking reported doing so for over 1 year. Fewer men (vs women) (78.0% vs 89.3%;

conclusionPeople without a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner face several challenges. Many are trying to find one, but cannot. They value relationship-based care yet are more likely to use walk-in clinics and less likely to be satisfied with that care compared to people with a primary care clinician. Reforms should align with the values and preferences of those without primary care.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityPatient Acceptance of Health CarePatient PreferencePrimary Health CareAccess to Primary CareAdolescentAdultAgedCanadaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNurse PractitionersSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID41285627
PMCPMC12668389

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.