Objectives 

To examine the association between socio-economic status, need for medical care and visits to physicians in a universal health insurance system.

Methods 

Cross-sectional analysis of the 1990 Ontario Health Survey, a population-based survey utilizing a multistage, randomized cluster sample.

The analysis considered only those respondents who were 16 years of age or older from the province of Ontario, Canada : 21 272 males and 24 738 females.

Results 

There was no difference by education or income in persons having made at least one visit to a general practitioner in the previous year.

High income persons were less likely to have made six or more visits to a general practitioner - odds ratio (OR)=0,67,95% CI=0,52,0,87 for men ; OR=0,66,95% CI=0,58,0,75 for women - but more likely to have made at least one visit to a specialist - OR=1,42,95% CI=1,15,1,76 for men ; OR=1,25,95% CI=1,07,1,45 for women.

A person's need for medical care was the most important determinant of a physician visit.

Conclusions 

Self-reported visits to general practitioners in Canada are strongly influenced by a person's need for medical care and are appropriately related to socio-economic status.

However, there is a residual association between higher socio-economic levels and greater use of specialist services.

(résumé d'auteur).