Examining Pathways to Accessing Outpatient Psychiatric Care in British Columbia

Le résumé fourni par la source

British Columbia (BC) has prioritized access to mental health care. Using linked administrative health data, this study investigated care pathways to outpatient psychiatric care in BC and assessed whether they were experienced equitably across population groups. Pathways to care included a primary care referral pathway (“community pathway”), a hospitalization to primary care to outpatient psychiatry pathway (“primary care follow-up pathway”), and a hospitalization to outpatient psychiatry pathway (“hospitalization pathway”). Multinomial logistic regression revealed that having an administrative sex of male, enrollment in the low-income drug plan, living in a lower-income neighbourhood, and having a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder led to an increased odds of accessing care via the hospitalization and primary care follow-up pathways. Recent and long-term immigrants had an increased odds of accessing care through the “hospitalization pathway”. These findings reveal disparities in access, underscoring the need for equity-focused health policy and interventions in BC.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.