Accessibility can be defined as the ease with which health services are reached in terms of physical access (geographical distribution), costs, time, and availability of qualified personnel. Accessibility is a prerequisite for a high-quality and efficient health system.
We have defined four sub-dimensions of care accessibility:
- Financial accessibility
- Availability of qualified workforce
- Waiting time before obtaining an appointment with a specialist
- Geographical accessibility (new 2020)
Summary of the accessibility indicators
Some of the indicators analysed in other sections of this report may also be interpreted in terms of accessibility:
- Among preventive care indicators: Percentage of women receiving a breast cancer screening test (P-6, P-7), number of people who do not have regular contacts with a dentist (P-11).
- Among mental healthcare indicators: Number of psychiatrists (MH-2); Waiting time before a 1st appointment at a mental healthcare facility (MH-3).
- Among care for the elderly indicators: Percentage of elderly people receiving long-term care in MRPA/MRS facilities (ELD-1) or long-term care at home (ELD-2), Informal caregivers for people aged 50 years and over (ELD-3), Number of available spaces in long-term care beds (ELD-4), Number of not highly dependent persons in MRPA/MRS facilities (ELD-5); Number of geriatricians (ELD-6).
- Among end-of-life care indicators: Number of patients receiving palliative care (EOL-1); Number of patients receiving palliative care too late (EOL-2).