How Canada's family doctor shortage compares to other countries
CTV
Canada ranks last when it comes to access to family doctors in a just-released list of 10 high-income countries.
Canada ranked last in a just-published list of 10 high-income countries when it comes to access to a family doctor for routine medical care.
The proportion of Canadians aged 18 and older who reported access to a primary care provider fell from 93 per cent in 2016 to 86 per cent in 2023, according to a new survey by the Commonwealth Fund (CMWF), a private U.S.-based research group, released Thursday.
While 86 per cent is still high, the report suggests an estimated four million Canadian adults did not have a primary care provider in 2023.
The survey ranked the following countries based on the percentages of people who reported having a regular doctor or a place they usually visit for medical care in 2023:
The CMWF average of the 10 countries is 93 per cent.
"Canada’s 2023 result is significantly lower than the CMWF average," according to the Commonwealth Fund. The survey was published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. CIHI is an independent, not-for-profit group providing information on health in Canada.
"Lack of access to a primary care provider has been shown to negatively impact the health of individuals and of the population as a whole," according to the report. "Better access to primary health care can lead to better health outcomes, and to fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations."
