Patient-reported access variables and coding schemes from the Health Care Experiences Survey (HCES)
| Variable | HCES question stem | Coding scheme for answer choices |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone access (HCES item access 2) | How often did your provider or someone else in the office speak to you when you called or get back to you the same day?† | Favourable: Always, often Unfavourable: Sometimes, rarely, never, volunteers “it depends” Missing: Don’t know, refused |
| After-hours access (HCES item access 6) | Not including hospital emergency departments, does your provider have an after-hours clinic where patients can be seen by or talk to a doctor or nurse when the provider’s office is closed? | Favourable: Yes Unfavourable: No, Don’t know Missing: Refused |
| Wait time for care (HCES item sick 3) | How many days did it take from when you first tried to see your provider to when you actually saw them or someone else in their office?‡ | Favourable: Same day, next day Unfavourable: 2 to ≥ 20 days Missing: Don’t know, refused |
| Timeliness of wait for care (HCES item sick 6)* | Would you say the length of time it took between making the appointment and the actual visit was about right, somewhat too long or much too long?‡ | Favourable: About right Unfavourable: Somewhat too long, much too long Missing: Other, don’t know, refused |
↵* Added to survey in April 2016.
↵† Asked only of participants answering “Yes” to the question, “Have you called or tried to call your provider’s office with a medical question or concern during the day on a Monday to Friday in the last 12 months?”
↵‡ Asked only of participants answering “Yes” to the question, “Not counting yearly check-ups or monitoring of an ongoing health issue, in the last 12 months did you want to see your provider because you were sick or had a health concern?”