The Influence of Individuals’ Vulnerabilities and Their Interactions on the Assessment of a Primary Care Experience

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the vulnerabilities of individuals and their assessments of their primary care experiences in the setting of a universal care system. It focuses on 2 specific objectives: (1) evaluating the influence of each of the 5 vulnerabilities on the assessment of the care experience; (2) evaluating the influence of the interactions between the different types of vulnerabilities on the assessment of the care experience. The study identifies the primary care experience of 9,206 people. The health-related, biological, material, relational, and cultural vulnerabilities are also evaluated. Generally, individuals’ vulnerabilities are associated with a positive assessment of the primary care experience except for the cultural vulnerability. Material vulnerability is most frequently associated with a positive assessment of the primary care experience. The interactions between the multiple vulnerabilities present for one individual often modify the effect of vulnerability on the assessment of the experience of care. The positive effect of a vulnerability on the assessment of the care experience often increases in the presence of a second vulnerability, especially the health-related vulnerability. The simultaneous presence of health-related vulnerability cancels the negative influence of cultural vulnerability on the assessment of the primary care experience.