Abstract
BackgroundPeople who inject drugs (PWID) use healthcare services, including primary care, at a disproportionately high rate. We investigated key correlates of general practitioner (GP) related service utilisation within a cohort of PWID.MethodsUsing baseline data from a cohort of 645 community-recruited PWID based in Melbourne, Victoria, we conducted a secondary analysis of associations between past month use of GP services unrelated to opioid substitution therapy (OST) and socio-demographic and drug use characteristics and self-reported health using multivariate logistic regression.ResultsJust under one-third (29%) of PWID had accessed GP services in the month prior to being surveyed. Participants who reported living with children (adjusted odds ratio, AOR 1.97, 95% CI 1.04 - 3.73) or having had contact with a social worker in the past month (AOR 1.92, 95% CI 1.24 - 2.98) were more likely to have seen a GP in the past month. Participants who were injecting daily or more frequently (AOR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30 - 0.83) or had a weekly income of less than $400 (AOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38 - 0.91) were less likely to report having seen a GP in the past month.ConclusionsOur sample frequently attended GP services for health needs unrelated to OST. Findings highlight both the characteristics of PWID accessing GP services and also those potentially missing out on primary care and preventive services.
Highlights
People who inject drugs (PWID) use healthcare services, including primary care, at a disproportionately high rate
Participants were individuals aged between 18 and 30 years old, who reported injecting either heroin or methamphetamines at least monthly over the previous six months and were able to provide a valid Medicare card number
Building on broader research around health service utilisation among PWID, our study focuses on general health services as a principal element in determining health outcomes for this population
Summary
People who inject drugs (PWID) use healthcare services, including primary care, at a disproportionately high rate. Among PWID, factors such as prioritising social needs above health needs, self-perceived health, reluctance to disclose drug use and distrust of service providers, social isolation, transport, service delivery models, and punitive measures around child welfare [2,12,13,14] have been identified as factors that might ‘predispose’ GP service utilisation These barriers may underpin the delays in accessing primary health services [2] and related frequent use of emergency services [15], as well as low continuity of care [16]
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