Primary care is usually defined as the first point of entry with the health care system. It is generally delivered by a family doctor or nurse practitioner and includes services like medical appointments, walk-in clinics, mental health services, virtual care, and more.
The Primary Care Survey aims to better understand citizens’ use and experiences with primary care services in the province and within their health zones.
More frequent surveys for more timely information
Since 2022, the Primary Care Survey has been conducted annually, with more than 5,000 New Brunswickers participating each year.
Beginning in 2026-2027, the survey will be conducted more frequently.
Primary care in New Brunswick is evolving rapidly. To keep pace with these changes, the NBHC is collecting a small number of key measures more frequently, allowing us to provide more timely information on access to primary care while continuing to report on the broader experiences of New Brunswickers.
The survey will now be conducted in different formats depending on the survey cycle:
A focused survey, conducted more frequently, focusing on two key measures:
- Whether New Brunswickers have a regular permanent primary care provider.
- Whether they can access that provider in a timely manner.
A complete survey, conducted once a year, explores:
- Whether New Brunswickers have a regular permanent primary care provider.
- Whether they can access that provider in a timely manner.
- Experiences with their primary care provider.
- Use of other primary care services when their permanent provider is unavailable or when citizens do not have one.
- Additional modules that rotate over time, such as virtual care, mental health, chronic condition management, and barriers to care.
For more information about the survey, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Note: The NBHC Primary Health Survey results are available at the provincial, health zone and NBHC community levels across four survey cycles: 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020. The data tables can be found on the Data Tables page.
