More than 170K Ontario patients lost family doctors in first 6 months of pandemic, study finds
More than 170,000 patients in Ontario lost their family doctors in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study has found.
The study, led by Unity Health Toronto and non-profit research institute ICES, found the number of family physicians who stopped working doubled between March and September 2020 compared to the same time period the previous year.
This equals nearly three per cent of Ontario’s practicing family physicians, officials said.
On average, between April and September from 2010 through to 2019, researchers say about 1.6 per cent of family physicians stopped work.
“Nearly 1.8 million Ontarians don’t have a regular family physician,” Dr. Tara Kiran, lead author of the study and a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, said in a statement.
“Our findings suggest things are only going to get worse, which is really concerning because family medicine is the front door to our health system.”
The study found that about 385 of 12,000 physicians stopped their practice, and that those who did were more likely to be aged 75 or older and care for under 500 patients.
The findings also suggest that many of these doctors were approaching retirement and accelerated their plans during the pandemic.
The study emphasizes that it cannot prove that the pandemic was a direct cause of the exodus and cites other possible reasons such as health concerns, increased practice costs due to infection prevention and control measures, drop in revenue due to reduction in visits and burnout.
“More research is needed to understand the long-standing impact on primary care attachment and access to care and the broader impact on population health,” the study says.
The researchers also noted that while 385 physicians doesn’t appear to be that many when looking at the overall number of family doctors in Ontario, “over half of the physicians who stopped working had patients formally enrolled on their roster, and estimated the physicians cared for more than 170,000 patients.”
“The shortage of family physicians and other primary care providers is a complex Canada-wide problem related to aging of physicians and patients, increasing patient and system complexity, declining interest in family medicine among medical school graduates, and misdistribution of the workforce, especially affecting rural areas,” Dr. Rick Glazier, co-author of the study, said in a statement.
“These pre-existing factors have been exacerbated by the pandemic and call for fundamental changes in how we are organized, paid, supported, and deliver care.”
As a result, the researchers are calling for a re-evaluation of the payment model for family doctors, saying the model needs to create a more predictable income and provide doctors with flexibility. They also suggest expanding primary care teams to include other health professionals, including social workers, pharmacists and nurses.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.