The renunciation of care, the hidden side of the health system

Running, hiking, cross -country skiing, bike … In addition, Isabelle Bourgeois was a big sportsman until her injury in February 2024. Therefore, While playing volleyball, her favorite sport, her knee dropped. Nevertheless, A few weeks later, the diagnosis fell: tear of the anterior cross ligament.

She then ceased any sporting activity while waiting for a possible surgery. Moreover, Since fall, she has followed the obstacle course to obtain any information concerning the progress of her file.

The Maison des Fous, as in Asterixshe deplores, when she has just received a new blow. Furthermore, Isabelle Bourgeois has just learned that her operation will probably not take place for a year. Furthermore, In the public network, his case is deemed non -urgent and it could still be put aside several times.

It is a mixture of frustration. For example, sadness and even a little bit of despair, since I am always in question about what I am going to do in the coming years. However, The more sedentary we are, the more our body is in degradation mode.

Since his injury, his physical and mental health has been deteriorating. Consequently, She was notably on work stoppage for depressive disorders because of a major fall in endorphin. Furthermore, a classic among athletes at forced rest.

In order not to sink. Furthermore, this mother of two planned to turn to the private sector, but she was cooled by the price: between 12,000 and $ 20,000. Meanwhile, An expense that it cannot afford immediately.

Faced with this dead end. Meanwhile, she is now thinking of giving up an operation, even if it would mean abandoning her sports activities. However, Difficult to consider, she confides, especially as long as there is a slight hope of obtaining surgery.

It’s very common

DRE Isabelle Leblanc works for the university family medicine group St-Mary’sin Montreal. Furthermore, She often sees patients, like Isabelle Bourgeois, who have not received the prescribed care.

Several times a week, it’s very common And, according to his experience, the financial aspect is the main obstacle. Furthermore, My patients often need a psychologist or physiotherapist and it is not covered. They therefore give up care they really need.

Isabelle Leblanc notes that the phenomenon savings relatively people covered by private insurance. For others. and in particular patients who do not have a family doctor, It’s almost impossible to have a first appointment to assess a health problem.

This phenomenon has been studied and taken seriously in Europe for several years. Here, the data is almost nonexistent. In a light firm survey. carried out in Quebec last fall, 43 % of respondents said they had deprived themselves of care in the last year, due to renunciation care, hidden side health the difficulties of access to the health network.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health. Marie-Christine Patry affirms, in an email, that The MSSS is aware that patients do not fail to consult in a timely time . But she maintains that efforts are continuing to improve access quoting. among other things, the creation of the access counter to the first line, measures to increase registration to a family doctor, or the 40% increase in the number of medical students.

Leave emergencies without being treated

The renunciation of care is even present in the emergency room. while patients are a few meters from a health professional. The economist Emmanuelle B. Faubert demonstrated it in a report published last year (new window).

In 2023-2024, according to its renunciation care, hidden side health calculations, 3.2 million patients presented themselves in the emergency room of Quebec and 11.5 % of them left before medical care. An increasing figure compared to a first probe shot in 2018-2019. At the time, just over 10 % of patients had turned back without receiving any care.

These are renunciation care, hidden side health people who are tanned to wait. who may not be taken seriously, and they decide to abandon, explains Ms. Faubert. But this can cause complications; It is a time bomb.

A reality that Pierre Blain can testify, a retiree who has recurring health problems. After several bad experiences. he thinks twice before going to the emergency room, except that this hesitation almost cost him his life.

Subject to chest pain, he waited 10 days before running for emergency room. There was midnight less one. A few minutes after his care, he ended up on the operating table for a release of the coronary arteries.

Pierre Blain is also the president of the organization The health users of Quebec. and the testimonies of renunciation of care are familiar to him.

He evokes in turn a patient whose non -neat liver problems have turned into chronic illness. renunciation care, hidden side health an elderly person not wealthy enough to obtain the vaccine against VRS While she has serious pulmonary problems … he even saw the extreme case of a person who has not been taken care of. who asked for medical aid to die in despair.

The renunciation of care. it first implies the fact of not receiving care, but it also implies the fact that we would have needed care and therefore that we are in danger, in some cases.

Dr. Isabelle Leblanc also notes inconvenience in people who give up care. It makes a link with the resurgence of cases of cervical cancer. among others, because people do not have access to screening.

It happens to him. as a last resort, to prescribe opiates to people who cannot afford the services of a physiotherapist for musculoskeletal pain. Very strong drugs which can cause dependence, she specifies, while it is not the right treatment.

She also notes that certain users renunciation care, hidden side health avoid consulting to avoid overloading doctors and Take the place of someone older. It is not a good reflex because things can obviously worsenshe concludes.

By multiplying the calls. follow -ups which often remain unanswered, Isabelle Bourgeois has printing of adding a burden to the health system. She thinks that with more transparency. especially on processing deadlines, she could have made better decisions for her health and for the community.