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Canadians can face considerable variations in the quality of healthcare they receive. Wait times for medically necessary procedures vary considerably across the country. For example, there are significant differences in wait times for specialist procedures. According to the Fraser Institute, in 2019, a patient waiting to receive a specialist’s treatment in Prince Edward Island would face an average wait of 49.3 weeks between referral to a specialist and the actual procedure itself. Conversely, patients in Ontario only waited 16 weeks between referral and procedure. These two provinces are the extremes of low and high wait times, but significant variation exists between the other provinces and territories in Canada. Another domain through which to understand the quality of care is access. Access to healthcare also varies significantly between different social groups in Canada. According to Lilian Magalhaes, Canada has an estimated 500 000 undocumented migrants. Undocumented migrants experience a substantial lack of access to healthcare and are often turned away before receiving treatment. Furthermore, they are not protected from financial barriers to care like Canadian citizens and permanent residents and often have to pay upfront for healthcare. They are victim to the same financial accessibility barriers that the Canada Health Act aimed to eliminate for other Canadians. Indigenous Canadians also face a substantially poorer quality of care within the healthcare system. Indigenous patients face longer wait times and fewer specialist referrals. This is discussed at length on the ‣ page.
Figure 1: Wait times in Canada
Comparisons of Canada's quality of care on an international basis are difficult to draw definitive conclusions from. Different studies often reach contradictory findings and use differing methods to assess healthcare systems. These difficulties also stem from issues of defining a healthcare system. A 2017 study by the Commonwealth Fund concluded that Canada ranked "relatively poorly" compared to other high-income countries included in the study. This poor ranking was driven primarily by Canada's lack of public pharmacare and dental care insurance. A more straightforward measure of the quality of healthcare could be determined by examining patient outcomes and opinions in Canada for specific issues and comparing them with those of other countries. This was done by the Canadian Institute for Health information, which compared healthcare in Commonwealth countries, by polling providers and patients. This study determined that in 2020 less than half of Canadians who wanted help for mental health concerns received it. Though this figure is low, at only 43%, it is slightly higher than the average of other countries surveyed, which was 41%. Canadians were also less likely to have a regular doctor or place to receive medical treatment than those in the other countries surveyed. 90% of Canadians fit this description, 4% below the international average of 94%. Similarly, Only 73% of Canadian respondents felt that they had been treated with respect by doctors during hospital trips and stays. This figure was 4% below the 2020 average for countries surveyed, which was 77%. Similarly, the percentage of Canadians who felt they had been treated respectfully by nurses was lower than the survey average, standing at 71% and 76%, respectively. Figure 2 documents Canada's quality of care compared to international averages and similarly denotes the outcomes in Ontario and BC, two of Canada's most populous provinces. 58% of Canadians felt they spent enough time with their doctors, which was 2% higher than the international average. 71% of Canadians felt their doctors explained things in a way that they could understand. This is 3% above the international average of 68%. As mentioned before, differing methodologies make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding Canada's quality of healthcare, but it appears that it generally seems to be average or slightly below average.
Figure 2: Quality of Care determinants, international comparison