Women are losing faith in Canada's healthcare system

Women make up more than half of the Canadian population, but is the country's healthcare system ignoring women's health?

Over half of women say the healthcare system in Canada has failed them, according to a new report.

Virtual care platform Maple released the findings from a national survey that asked 1,505 women who are members of the Angus Reid Forum what they think about the Canadian healthcare system.

The results were bleak, as 54 per cent of Canadian women said the country's healthcare system does not meet their needs. The report says this highlights how outdated models of care are failing to support the way women seek care today.

It cites long wait times, delayed diagnoses and the dismissal of women's concerns as examples of a healthcare system under "sustained pressure."

"These aren't edge cases. They point to structural gaps that can't be solved with small incremental changes. The care model itself has to evolve," said Dr. Brett Belchetz, CEO and co-founder of Maple, in a statement.

The report highlights that women's experiences reveal that they are routinely overlooked in their care.

The systemic failure of the healthcare system in Canada is shown in the numbers.

Delays, dismissals, and misdiagnoses

According to the report, 74 per cent say their health conditions aren't taken seriously, and 43 per cent of women say that they've experienced delays when it comes to getting the proper treatment for their conditions. On top of that, 35 per cent of women have experienced misdiagnoses and delayed diagnoses.

A real-life example of women's health being ignored is the 2023 story of a Canadian woman who had to wait for over a decade to be diagnosed with a debilitating condition.

In an interview, Jessica Wetzstein told us that when she visited clinics and hospitals crying over her knifelike pelvic pain, she had been called hysterical, an attention seeker, and that she needed to stop wasting medical resources.

She was finally diagnosed with adenomyosis after demanding that doctors look into her condition further.

Another example of misdiagnosis is a big chunk of women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were misdiagnosed with another disorder prior to proper ADHD diagnoses, according to a recent CADDAC survey.

The effects of a misdiagnosis can also be lethal, as seen when a 23-year-old mental health worker in B.C. died last year.

The report adds that 70 per cent of women say navigating the system is exhausting and so overwhelming that they avoid it altogether until an emergency forces their hand.

According to the stats from 2023, approximately 6.5 million Canadians don't have a family doctor.

"For women, these delays are reshaping how and when care is accessed — and whether it's accessed at all. As it happens, 62 per cent of women have put off or skipped care due to long wait times," reads Maple's report.

It says that the number increases among women aged 18 to 34 when timely access to healthcare in Canada is critical.

Women's health across Canada

The report found that a majority of women across provinces say the system doesn't reflect their needs.
● British Columbia: 75 per cent
● Alberta: 81 per cent
● Saskatchewan: 77 per cent
● Manitoba: 76 per cent
● Ontario: 79 per cent
● Quebec: 70 per cent
● Atlantic Canada: 75 per cent

The findings highlight a specific demographic of women ages 35 to 54 dubbed the "sandwich generation." These women are juggling their own health needs while taking care of others.

"In our survey, 40 per cent of women say they are responsible for the care of a parent, child, partner or other family member," reads the report. "These demands are more than emotional. They come with material costs to health, finances and long-term security."

Solutions for the healthcare system in Canada

Maple suggests the healthcare system in Canada should aspire to be more proactive.

"When care comes too late, small issues become serious ones and manageable conditions become harder to treat," reads the report.

"Awareness of these gaps is growing, and with it, expectations. Women, for example, are asking for care that reflects the realities of their lives: care that's timely, flexible, continuous, intuitive and easier to navigate."

It points to innovative technology as one possible solution to access. Maple's survey found that 82 per cent of women say they've used or would be open to using technology-enabled care, from virtual visits to digital navigation to managing personal health records.

According to the report, 68 per cent of women think technology could reduce wait times and make healthcare more accessible.