Burnout, pain and anxiety, and for some, suicidal thoughts. The diagnosis is clear: Family doctors are as bad in Ontario as in the rest of the country.
Those already affected by the pandemic are out of practice in large numbers, there doesn’t seem to be any panic in the corporation, and all the lights are red.
The profession was adopted by the Ontario College of Family Physicians last May. In a report the company explained Alarm bell
65% of the 1,300 physicians surveyed indicated their intention to leave their practice or reduce work hours in the next five years.
During a family physician’s work week, approximately 40% is devoted to administrative tasks.
Photo: Radio-Canada / David Donnelly
The situation of their colleagues in the rest of the country is no longer promising: in a survey by the Canadian Medical Association from 2021 – and thus in the middle of the pandemic – one in two Canadian doctors said they were suffering from professional burnout.
That data worry
Jean-Joseph Conde, doctor and spokesmanAMC, Especially when we know that the Canadian population is aging and the need will increase with more complex health care, more comorbidity and longer hospital stays.
.
In some of them the discomfort is more severe, 14% of respondents had suicidal thoughts because they were overwhelmed by stress
Dr. Conde was alarmed.
The the burden
Administrative work
Approximately 40% of a family physician’s weekly work time in Ontario is spent on administrative tasks.
Photo: Getty Images / WavebreakMedia
The grievance of the majority of family physicians interviewed was directed toward the acronym: EMR, for Electronic Medical Records. More generally, all office work is specialized here.
Ontario physicians work an average of 47.7 hours per week, 40% of which is spent on administrative tasks.
Administrative tasks responsible for swallowing an average of 19 hours out of 47.7 hours of work per week (Statistics CMFO), exhaust practitioners and subtraction This time for patients
Dr. Ramsey Hijaji explains.
On a typical day, this Ottawa-based family doctor spends a fraction of what he calls the burden
Before opening his office at 8 a.m., and again at noon, I haven’t had a real meal in 10 years
And, finally, after putting your kids to bed in the evening.
And often, there are some left at the end of the week. Dr. describes the Sisyphean task, I do it constantly because if I stop, it just piles up.
.
These working hours are unpaid, for what other occupation would this be reasonable?
Everyone asks us for forms: certificates of absence from work, school, sports club or summer camp, insurance forms, disability forms for tax. There are many forms to fill when a patient has any condition. And even if he doesn’t have a certificate to say that he is in good health! We will not stop!
Dr. Conde explained.
Dr. Hijaji narrates cases where the same patient received three different forms from the same hospital.
Other family doctors do not hesitate to charge their patients for certain procedures, even if it offends them or provokes their ignorance.
Dr. Andrew Park, president of the Ontario Medical Association, believes fee increases for family physicians have not kept pace with inflation.
Photo: Courtesy of Radio-Canada / OMA
A general boredom that raises fears of meaninglessness, Nobody went to medical school because they wanted to sit in front of an Excel spreadsheet
Summary of Dr. Andrew Park, the new president of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA).
He compares it to a night work
Then the doctors take over Their day job is with their patients
.
At the national level, theAMC Keeps the administrative overload of doctors at 10 hours per week, Halving this time equates to 600 doctors
Full time, argued Dr. Conde.
In this regard, the province of Ontario is said to be involved in reducing the administrative burden on doctors. Through a bipartisan Burnout Working Group with our healthcare partners
.
New Union of Family Physicians
Seeing no improvement in his condition, the doctor decided to start HijajiOntario Union of Family Physicianswho is he Not the type of person who usually throws up
Gender programs.
Since its creation last July, over 1,200 Ontario doctors have joined its organization. I’ve talked to dozens and dozens of colleagues, many of whom are at breaking point.
.
The number of general practitioners is not increasing in line with the size of the population.
Some doctors are downsizing, others are choosing to accelerate their retirement, and aspiring doctors are in no rush to replace them. The percentage of medical students choosing family medicine has never gone down.
The number of family physicians continues to grow, but not as quickly as we observed 5 or 10 years ago.
Others choose to leave family medicine for higher-paying practices. With additional training, general practitioners may actually practice other specialties or become counselors. A trend confirmed by the Ontario Medical Association.
I have never seen so many beauty clinics open
Dr. Hijazi and colleagues are looking at moves toward gynecology, anesthesia, and dermatology.
Remuneration pointed out
Because the other hobby horse of general practitioners is remuneration. Family doctors are among the lowest paid practitioners
, Dr. Park explains. President ofAMO recognizes that Fee increases haven’t really kept up with inflation, especially in recent years
.
The province pays us only 38% of what it pays us now to operate our practices
Dr. Hijaji opined.
In the documents we have obtained, there has been a change in the method of calculating doctors’ salaries since 2010.
Dr. Hijazi, who also believes in Ontario, believes this new calculation method will disadvantage doctors who run their own practices. Underfunding is enormous and the government can make quick decisions that can have a significant impact.
Total health expenditure per capita
| Province or Territory | Per Capita Expenditure (in $) |
|---|---|
| Nunavut | 23,652 |
| North West Territories | 21,750 |
| Yukon | 15,696 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 10,333 |
| New Scotland | 9737 |
| British Columbia | 9182 |
| Saskatchewan | 9112 |
| Alberta | 9041 |
| Prince Edward Island | 9036 |
| Quebec | 8785 |
| Manitoba | 8616 |
| New Brunswick | 8413 |
| Ontario | 8245 |
The province contends that it invested About 80 billion, this year alone
either The amount invested by all other provinces and territories in their own health systems
.
However, 2023 data provided by the Canadian Institute for Health Information tells a different story on spending per person. At $8,245 per person in 2023, Ontario is the lowest-performing province in the country.
At this rate, some doctors believe that the promise of universal health coverage is in jeopardy, however, according to estimates CMFOOne in four Ontarians will not have a family doctor by 2026.
The Ontario Medical Association, which represents family doctors in the province, declined to comment at this time Negotiations for further agreement on medical services
.
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