Physician Shortage – Background Information
Did you know?
- The College of Family Physicians of Canada estimates that up to five million Canadians are without a family doctor. This represents up to 17 per cent of the population.
- Studies have shown that these people will be sicker and cost the health care system more money than those with a dedicated physician.
- Canada's doctor-patient ratio is among the worst of any industrialized nation, with just 2.2 physicians per thousand people. It ranks last among G8 countries and 24th of 28 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries.
- The 2007 National Physician Survey reports that 58 per cent of doctors are either limiting the number of new patients they accept or not accepting any at all.
- A 2005 survey found that only 23 per cent of Canadians were able to see a physician on the day they needed one putting us last of the six studied, which included the U.S., Britain and Australia.
- The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) estimates that we would need 26,000 new physicians just to meet the OECD average.
- "An acclaimed report, first published in 1994 in The Lancet, examined how the relationship between family doctors and patients influences individual health as well as a country's health care costs. It concluded that regular family physician care results in a less medicated more satisfied population." (quoted from a Jan.2008 article in Maclean's magazine)
Effect in Ontario
- A report conducted by the Ontario Medical Association in partnership with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Studies (ICES) shows 15% of the province's sickest patients – those with chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes, don't have a doctor to help manage their care.The result is almost 120,000 unnecessary emergency rooms visits annually, and tens of thousands of avoidable hospital admissions.
Our Aging Population
- According to Statistics Canada, the number of seniors in this country is estimated to increase from 4.2 to 9.8 million between 2005 and 2036.
- By 2056, one in four Canadians will be 65, compared to 13 per cent now. This will put huge strain on the health care system.
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