Many Manitobans choose to a see a doctor far away from their home, according to researchers at the University of Manitoba.
The U of M said the study will help with the development of My Health Team, a team-based model for primary health care.
While working on My Health Team, planners mapped out geographic areas based on where people live. But the U of M study revealed that within Winnipeg, 45 per cent of residents travel outside their geographic area to see a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Of people living near but outside Winnipeg, 50 per cent travel into the city to get care. And of Manitobans who live far from Winnipeg, 60 per cent stay within their geographic area for care, while 40 per cent travel.
“These findings tell us that in order to plan primary care services, we need to focus more on where Manitobans actually get their care, and less on where they live,” said Dr. Dan Chateau, the lead author of the study and assistant professor of community health sciences at the Rady Centre of Medicine.
Chateau added that people will often seek care close to their workplace or at a clinic that has been recommended to them. People moving to a different area and continuing to see their same family doctor is another factor, he said.
Researchers used health data from 2011 to 2014 for the study. They also found that roughly one-third of Manitobans don’t go to see a doctor or nurse on a regular basis (less than once a year.)
The study also found that about 13 per cent of Manitobans are affected by social factors that challenge their health, including poverty, being a teenage mom, or being a newcomer to Canada.
