For some time, an increased demand for driving ability assessment and vehicle adaptation services has been observed. In fact, a serious shortage of health professionals able to meet these needs has been reported across the province of Québec. Moreover, an increasingly aging population in the province of Québec has brought about a significant increase in the need for specialized services over the past two years. This has led to alarmingly long waiting lists.
For exemple, the statistical inventory carried out by the members of the Association des établissements de réadaptation en déficience physique du Québec (AERDPQ) for 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, has revealed the following main observations:
- the services available in the area of driving and vehicle adaptation varies from one rehabilitation institution to another, with regard to the nature of its services and the availability of instruments;
- the waiting period varies from one to twelve months;
- adults and children (passenger adaptation) represent 65% of users, while persons 65 or over represent 35%;
- the request for services in 2001 increased by one-third from the year 2000;
these statistics compiled from rehabilitation institutions, if generalized to the Québec health and social services network at large, lead to the following opinion:
[...] “the demand for screening and evaluation services (for individuals who are not served by rehabilitation establishments, such as the elderly, and those undergoing psychiatric treatment) is likely twice, if not three times as high as ERDPQ statistics (Établissements de réadaptation en déficience physique du Québec), which accounts for the current situation and the long waiting lists all across the province. The emergence of a variety of evaluation services in the private sector is an additional consequence.”