Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in adults. Subsequently stroke survivors are often left with physical impairments that limit their ability to do every day activities of daily living which can result in loss of independence with huge human and financial burden. Consequently, the demand on the families, the healthcare system and the economy will increase. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to determine the extent to which stroke survivors use healthcare services in a population-based sample of older adults living in the community. Methods: Data were from the 2014 Canada Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey that collected information related to health status, health care utilization and health determinants for the Canadian population. Healthcare utilization was assessed by computer-assisted personal interview asking about visits to health professionals. Results: The sample involved 8,814 respondents who were 50 years or older. Generally, the number of contacts with healthcare professionals was higher for individuals with stroke than those without stroke, with the exception of a dentist which was lower. The stroke survivors were more likely to visit a family doctor, nurse or physiotherapist than healthy people, after we controlled for age, sex, income and comorbidities. Conclusion: Stroke survivors visited healthcare professionals more than healthy people, and were more likely to consult with those relevant to the management of their condition.