The base of the vaunted Canadian health care system is crumbling, as more and more family doctors retire and fewer medical school graduates choose to go into family practice..The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) says the family physician shortage has reached a critical stage and Canadians are finding it difficult to gain access to a doctor..“The challenges patients face in finding a family doctor have multiplied across Canada. Both family doctors and those seeking care are sounding the alarm bells,” says CMA President Dr. Katharine Smart. “Family physicians provide comprehensive patient support, ensuring patients have continuity of care and the help they need to navigate our complex health system.”.“The lack of access to family doctors is a growing crisis.”.The vast majority of Canadians — 80% — do have a family doctor, according to a study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute (ARI). But the younger demographic is less likely to have a family doctor, with 69% of those aged 18 to 34 saying they do not. Of those aged 35 to 54, 81% have a doctor, while in the 55+ group, 87% have a doctor..“But having a family doctor represents only part of the story around access to primary care in Canada,” says ARI. “What if you have a doctor, but can’t get in to see them when you need to? Among those with a family physician, just 18% report that they can secure an appointment within a day or two.”.Further, 41% say it takes several days and the same number saying it is difficult, taking a week or more, to see their doctor..A few, 14%, say they have a doctor and can get an appointment quickly..“Put another way, the system seems to work for 14% of Canadian adults or 4.4 million Canadians,” says ARI..“These people not only have a doctor but have easy access to that medical professional when needed.”.Regionally, BC and Atlantic Canada have the highest number of adults who report difficulty in accessing their current doctor or can’t find one at all (59% and 60% respectively)..It’s better in Alberta and Ontario, but still more than 40% in each province say they either don’t have a doctor or must wait more than a week for an appointment..“For the one-in-five Canadians without a family doctor, many have been searching without luck to get one,” says ARI. “A few, 8%, began their search in the last six months. More than 11% have been looking for up to a year, 35% more than a year, while 29% say they have given up entirely on finding a doctor.”.“Canadians over the age of 34 are much more likely to report an extended and fruitless search for a doctor, with 43% in this cohort looking for more than a year. Three-in-10 over the age of 54 say they have given up, despite belonging to a demographic much more likely to need health care.”.As part of its survey, ARI also canvassed Americans about their experiences, and found the number of Americans who have a family doctor, at 76%, is very close to Canada’s 80%..Of the Americans surveyed, however, 36% said they can get an appointment with their doctor within a day or two if they need one, double the rate in Canada. Compared to two-in-five Canadians with a family doctor saying it’s difficult to get an appointment right away, only 24% of Americans say the same..This, despite the U.S. facing a similar shortage of physicians as Canada..“Looking at the overall spectrum of access to primary care by country, three trends are evident,” says ARI. “Easy access is more prevalent in the U.S. and difficult access rarer. Notably, however, Americans are four times as likely as Canadians to simply not be seeking a relationship with a family physician.”.This is the second of three columns by Myke Thomas, reviewing Angus Reid studies of Canadian health care. The final column will deal with Canadians' reaction to private health care.
