| As is noted in the topic text, it is difficult
to obtain reliable sub-provincial data on health care utilization.
Consequently, data is at the provincial level (with no data being
available for the territories).
In the twelve months prior to the 1998 to 1999 National Population
Health Survey, close to 80% of Canadians made use of the services
of a family physician. The first map in this series indicates that
this overall utilization rate ranged from lows of 73% in Quebec
and 77% in Alberta to a high of 86% in Prince Edward Island. For
the remaining provinces, utilization proportions range from 80 to
84 per cent. For Canada as a whole and for each province, the majority
of the population (close to 58%) visited a family physician more
than twice during that time period. Regionally, multiple use proportions
ranged from a low of 46.7% in Quebec to a high of 67.8% in Newfoundland
and Labrador.
As illustrated in the second map of this series, utilization of
dental services was far lower. Visits or the use of the services
of a dentist or orthodontist for Canada as a whole was just under
60%. The variations in dental services utilization is much broader,
ranging from a low of 46% in Newfoundland and Labrador to highs
of 63% in British Columbia and 64% in Ontario. In 1998 to 1999 only
a third of Canadians attended a dentist/orthodontist more than once.
Multiple visits were lowest in Saskatchewan (21.8%) and highest
in Ontario (39.1%) and British Columbia (40.4%).
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