title: Socioeconomic status and allied health use: Among patients in an academic family health team.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify whether socioeconomic status is associated with allied health use among patients in a large academic family health team (FHT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected through a retrospective chart review using an electronic medical record system.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large academic FHT in Ottawa, Ont.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with at least 1 in-person clinician encounter between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive statistics were used to compare patients who accessed allied health services with those who did not. We conducted logistic regression analyses to determine whether income quintile was independently associated with allied health use after adjusting for other patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inclusion criteria identified 2938 unique patients, of whom 949 (32.3%) saw an allied health provider(AHP) during the study period. While patients in the fourth income quintile had the greatest AHP use per person (41.2% of patients had at least 1 AHP visit), those in the lowest income quintile had the greatest mean number of AHPs seen(mean [SD] = 1.48 [0.80]). After adjustment, the odds of seeing an AHP were significantly increased with older age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02) and female sex (OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.22). Compared with patients in the highest income quintile, patients in the lowest (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.72) and fourth (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.66) income quintiles had significantly higher odds of seeing AHPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within an academic FHT, lower-income patients were more likely to use allied health services, suggesting equitable allocation of resources. We encourage other FHTs to similarly assess their allied health resource allocation as an important outcome for investments in Ontario FHTs.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kendall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult