Social Networks and the Probability of Having a Regular Family Doctor

Abstract

This paper contributes to te literature on the determinants of healthcare utilization by examining how social network affect whether or not the individuals has a regular doctor. This question is particularly important in situations where the supply of family psysicians is clearly a constraint - as is the case for most jurisdictions in Canada. Having a regular doctor has been shown to have an impact on the health of an individual (McIsaac et al. 2001; Sanmartin et al., 2004; Sanmartin & Ross, 2006). This study uses the Canadian Community Health Surveys from 2000 to 2010 to examine the relationship between having a regular doctor and social networks. Three measures of social networks are used which include: sense of belonging to the local community, how often an individual has someone to confine in, and number of close friends and relatives. A probit model is employed to estimate the impact of a variety of demographic and socio-economic variables, as well as social networks, on the probability of having a regular doctor. Some evidence is found that there is a relationship between social networks and having a regular doctor.