Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Access to Invasive Cardiac Procedures and on Mortality after Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Universal health care systems seek to ensure access to care on the basis of need rather than income and to improve the health status of all citizens. We examined the performance of the Canadian health system with respect to these goals in the province of Ontario by assessing the effects of neighborhood income on access to invasive cardiac procedures and on mortality one year after acute myocardial infarction.