Most people in Denmark and the Netherlands have a doctor. Here's what Canada can learn

Emily Ritchie wasn't nervous about finding a doctor in Denmark.

She knew that within days of moving from Vancouver to her family's new home in Copenhagen last year, they would be connected to a general practitioner. 

Denmark residents are given a card with a number they use for everything from opening a bank account to accessing health care. The card also includes the name of an assigned general practitioner (GP), the equivalent of a family doctor in Denmark. 

"You're not left looking for a number. You're not left searching for who to contact. It's gold in a card," Ritchie told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's White Coat, Black Art. 

It's a stark difference from the situation in Canada, where finding a family doctor or nurse practitioner can be challenging. Some people can wait years depending on where they live.

As many as 6.5 million Canadians may be without a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Dr. Tara Kiran, a family doctor in Toronto, says she knows primary care in Canada can be better. 

That's why she went to Denmark and the Netherlands to see how more than 95 per cent of the population in those countries have access to a primary-care provider. That's much higher than the roughly 83 per cent of Canadian adults with access.

LISTEN | Primary care lessons: What the Netherlands can teach us

Kiran says Canada can learn from these two nations' around-the-clock access to primary care and use of primary-care teams.

"I really think it's important that we raise the imagination around what is possible for everyone," said Kiran, who also holds the Fidani chair in improvement and innovation at the University of Toronto. 

There are many differences between Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands, including how primary care is funded, how much its citizens are taxed, the health and demographics of each country's population, how people are connected to a GP, and how physicians are trained and paid.

Yet, as Dr. Kathleen Ross, a family physician and past president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) wrote in a recent editorial, countries like Denmark "offer a glimpse of what's possible" with their data sharing and team-based models.

Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, and Sweden are often recognized for their robust primary care, says Dr. Toni Dedeu, senior advisor of integrated primary healthcare with the World Health Organization's European region.