The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) says in the face of mounting pressures and demands on family doctors, it is calling on all levels of government to improve sustainability of family practice as a fundamental solution to the ongoing healthcare crisis.
In a release, it says that post-COVID new crises are adding to the various long-standing challenges that have faced Canadian health care as a whole and family medicine as a discipline.
"Provider burnout has been pushed to record levels, administrative burden has expanded unmanageably, and family doctors leaving the profession increase the strain on those who remain and continue to deal with ever-increasing and complex population demands for primary care," says the group.
"Overworked emergency departments and primary care clinics both struggle to attract and retain a sufficient workforce. Family physicians continue to provide high-quality care despite these challenging circumstances but are doing so at a great personal sacrifice."
The College of Family Physicians of Canada is considered the voice of family medicine.
"In order to solve the complex systemic issues that permeate Canadian health care we need to turn our attention to transformation that addresses evolving health care needs. The 2023 funding proposal from the federal government provides resources for four key investment areas, notably in family medicine."
In considering how to deploy these resources, the CFPC proposes a Prescription for Primary Care:
• Moving to team-based care: An interprofessional team providing care to a roster of patients, aligned with the principles of the Patient’s Medical Home
• Setting family medicine as a cornerstone: Family physicians are a foundational part of primary care teams, elevating the capacity and expertise of colleagues as a result of the depth and breadth of their medical training
• Ensuring access for all: Everyone deserves access to the expertise of a family doctor through a collaborative Patient’s Medical Home
• Investing in administrative supports: Focused and concrete efforts toward reducing the administrative burden placed on family physicians, removing low-value processes, and shifting tasks between team members to ensure that family physicians are working to the full scope of their training and expertise
• Providing fair remuneration commensurate with unique expertise in complexity: Shifting away from fee-for-service remuneration that incentivizes volume and episodic care and moving toward blended capitation models that better contribute to comprehensiveness and continuity of care. Family physicians’ remuneration must reflect their foundational importance and contribute to a sustainable professional experience.
Supporting full scope of practice: Support family physicians to continue providing care beyond the primary care system. Make sure that systems are flexible, enabling family doctors to make the best of the services they’re able to provide across settings in different capacities, maintaining their foundational role as a patient’s trusted partner in care.
• Planning to meet community needs: A renewed focus on understanding and meeting the needs of communities that practices serve, taking into account social determinants of health and collaborating with community services
• Using digital solutions and integration: Investment in a convenient and integrated set of digital tools including electronic medical records and virtual care that complement and bolster continuity of care
• Driving with data: Dedicated and substantive investments in data collection to inform planning and delivering care across Canada. Family medicine research is a key component of a successful and informed healthcare system.
The group adds that family physicians continue to provide high-quality care despite challenging circumstances but are doing so at a great personal sacrifice.
