High prevalence of unmet healthcare need among people who use illicit drugs in a Canadian setting with publicly-funded interdisciplinary primary care clinics.
Subst Abus
; 42(4): 760-766, 2021.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33270542
ABSTRACT
Background:
People who use illicit drugs (PWUD) experience significant barriers to healthcare. However, little is known about levels of attachment to primary care (defined as having a regular family doctor or clinic they feel comfortable with) and its association with unmet healthcare needs in this population. In a Canadian setting that features novel publicly-funded interdisciplinary primary care clinics, we sought to examine the prevalence and correlates (including attachment to primary care) of unmet healthcare needs among PWUD.Methods:
Data were derived from two prospective cohort studies of PWUD in Vancouver, Canada between December 2017 and November 2018. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with self-reported unmet healthcare needs among participants reporting any health issues.Results:
In total, 743 (83.6%) of 889 eligible participants reported attachment to primary care and 220 (24.7%) reported an unmet healthcare need. In multivariable analyses, attachment to primary care at an integrated care clinic (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.14; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.06-0.34) was negatively associated with an unmet healthcare need, while being treated poorly at a healthcare facility (AOR = 5.50; 95% CI 3.59-8.60) and self-reported chronic pain (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.30-3.01) were positively associated with an unmet healthcare need.Conclusion:
Despite the high level of attachment to primary care, a quarter of our sample reported an unmet healthcare need. Our findings suggest that multi-level interventions are required to address the unmet need, including pain management and integrated care, to support PWUD with complex health needs.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Drogas Ilícitas
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Subst Abus
Asunto de la revista:
TRANSTORNOS RELACIONADOS COM SUBSTANCIAS
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá