Study finds distance between family doctors and patients can be barrier to care

A new Ontario study has found that patients living farther than 30 kilometres from a family physician can negatively affect access to health care.

It tracked Ontario residents and the distance they travelled to see their doctor, along with the associated health outcomes for patients. Nearly 10 million Ontarians in urban and suburban settings who were enrolled with a family physician as of March 31, 2023 were studied.

It found that about one in 10 lived more than 30 kilometres away from their doctor were more likely to visit emergency departments for non-urgent issues and had fewer visits with a family physician in the previous two years.

Those living at a distance were also less likely to undergo preventive screening for colorectal, breast or cervical cancer.

The article was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) .

“Distance to health care services is an important determinant of health and can be classified as a factor of health care utilization, with increased distance a potential barrier to receiving care,” said Dr. Archna Gupta, scientist at Upstream Lab and family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, with coauthors.

The authors of the study say they hope that its findings will aid policy-makers with health care planning.

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