Utilization of selected types of health care in the United States and Canada: Findings from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health, the United States’ National Health Interview Survey, and the Canadian Community Health Survey

Michael E. Martinez, MPH MHSA, National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, 301-458-4758, bmd7@cdc.gov, Debra Blackwell, PhD, Division of Health Interview Survey, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, and Jane F. Gentleman, PhD, Division of Health Interview Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782.

We utilize data from the Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health (JCUSH; 2002-2003), the National Health Interview Survey (2000-2002), and the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000-2001) to examine differences in the utilization of selected types of health care in the U.S. and Canada. These datasets are cross sectional and contain information derived from similar instruments and questions during the same time period (2000-2003). We focus on three topic areas: (1) screening (mammogram and Pap smear), (2) use of medications, and (3) hospitalizations and physician contacts (with both general practitioners and specialists) among persons 18 years of age and over in the two countries. These topic areas are of interest because screening, hospitalizations and physician contacts are all fully covered by Canada’s government-sponsored health care system, while prescription medications are not. We should thus be able to see the impact of Canada’s health care system on utilization of these health services.

We compare descriptive statistics across the three datasets, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, health insurance coverage, marital status, self-assessed health status, and region or province. For purposes of health policy analysis, the many social, geographic, and economic similarities between the U.S. and Canada afford researchers a natural laboratory of sorts, in which they can control for confounding variables while investigating the correlates of health care coverage in the two countries.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.