Project 2 Research Essay
doc
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Centennial College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
171
Subject
Communications
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
doc
Pages
8
Uploaded by AdmiralStork4072
1 Beyond Diagnosis: A Prescription for Resolving Canada's Family Physician Shortage
Crisis
Fang Ruan
Centennial College
COMM 171-402
Professor Sonia Senior-Martin
November 26, 2023
2
Beyond Diagnosis: A Prescription for Resolving Canada's Family Physician Shortage
Crisis
How to solve the family physician shortage in Canada? The shortage of family physicians in Canada has reached a critical point, with approximately 15 percent of Canadians lacking a family
doctor, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. In the article "This is why you don't have a family doctor," Sanfilippo (2023) sheds light on the significant challenges within the medical training system contributing to this shortage. While Sanfilippo effectively outlines the problem, the absence of concrete solutions in his argument leaves a gap in the discourse on how to rectify the situation. This essay explores the validity of Sanfilippo's claims, critiques his lack of concrete solutions, and proposes alternative strategies to address the family physician shortage
in Canada.
Summary
In this article “This is why you don't have a family doctor”, Anthony Sanfilippo (2023) discusses
the significant shortage of family physicians in Canada and the challenges in addressing this issue. Sanfilippo (2023) examines the physician pipeline and the limited number of doctors being
produced each year in Canada. Sanfilippo (2023) argues that the medical education system in Canada needs reform. The process for admitting and training physicians is restrictive, and there is a lack of commitment to specific specialties from students. Sanfilippo (2023) suggests that the responsibility for training physicians is spread across various institutions and organizations, making significant reform challenging. Sanfilippo (2023) calls for a high-level, collaborative
3
approach involving all stakeholders in the medical training system to address the current and future healthcare needs of the Canadian public.
Response
Claim 1
: Validity
Sanfilippo's argument gains credibility through a robust presentation of statistical data, highlighting the severe consequences of the family physician shortage. Statistics Canada reports that six million Canadians lack a family doctor, with the most vulnerable populations, including the poor, socially marginalized, and elderly, being disproportionately affected (Sanfilippo, 2023).
This establishes the urgency of the issue and emphasizes the impact on those who are most in need of consistent healthcare. For example, Sanfilippo says:
“According to Statistics Canada, about 15 per cent, or six million, Canadians report having no affiliation with a family doctor. The impact is massive and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable among us - the poor, the socially marginalized and the elderly” (para.2).
Moreover, Sanfilippo's assertion that only 45 percent of medical students choose family medicine as a career, and a mere 50 percent of those opt for comprehensive care, underscores the
systemic issues within medical education (Sanfilippo, 2023). This information supports the claim
that the shortage is not only a matter of quantity but also a concern about the type of care being provided. The shortage of family physicians threatens to result in no more than 700 additional
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
family doctors annually, exacerbating the strain on an already overburdened healthcare system (Sanfilippo, 2023).
Additionally, research by Li et al. (2023) and Crawley (2023) aligns with Sanfilippo's argument, emphasizing the broader repercussions of the family physician shortage. Li et al. (2023) discuss the implications of reduced patient access, worse patient outcomes, and increased stressors on the healthcare system due to fewer family physicians. He reports that:
“Fewer family physicians to care for our growing and ageing population, coupled with increased patient care complexity and a higher prevalence of chronic health issues, will result in reduced patient access to care, worse patient outcomes and further stressors on our healthcare system.” (para.3)
Crawley (2023) adds another layer, pointing out that individuals without a regular family physician have a greater reliance on emergency rooms and are more likely to end up hospitalized. Together, these sources provide a comprehensive and convincing foundation for Sanfilippo's claims.
Claim 2
: Lack of Concrete Solutions
Sanfilippo (2023) adeptly identifies the intricacies of the medical training system, attributing the shortage to its fragmented oversight and the reluctance to abandon traditional practices. However, his failure to offer specific solutions leaves a void in the discourse. The complexity of the issue requires a more nuanced exploration of potential remedies.
5
In contrast, alternative sources provide actionable solutions to the family physician shortage. Crawley (2023) proposes expanding the role of nurse practitioners, streamlining family doctors' paperwork to allow more time for patient care, and involving other health professionals in primary care. This multi-pronged approach not only addresses the shortage directly but also enhances the overall efficiency of the healthcare system. In the his article titled “Why it's hard to find a family doctor — and what's being done”, Crawley suggests that:
“The trend is triggering a push for solutions to the family doctor shortage: making family practice more attractive to medical school graduates, streamlining family doctors' paperwork to give them more time to see patients, and giving other health professionals a greater role in primary care.” (para.6)
Keller (2023) suggests increasing the number of residency positions as a crucial first step. Currently, Canada has barely more than 1,600 residency spots in family medicine, necessitating a
radical increase to meet the growing demand (Keller, 2023). Additionally, Keller advocates for making it easier for foreign graduates to practice in Canada, acknowledging the valuable contribution they can make to filling the existing gaps. For exmpale, Keller proposed that:
“Make it easy for foreign graduates to practise in Canada. Consider graduates of a long list of approved medical schools in places such as Britain, Australia, the United States and the European Union as equivalent to graduates of Canadian medical schools. Make them eligible for all of the thousands of new residencies I’m proposing – which in any case could not be filled without them.” (para.21)
These proposals offer concrete steps towards resolving the shortage and are essential additions to
the discourse.
6
Moreover, Li et al. (2023) outline short-term and long-term strategies. Short-term solutions include reducing barriers for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), applying financial incentives to attract new graduates to family medicine, and providing administrative support to current physicians. Long-term strategies involve increasing the number of medical graduates and
family medicine residency slots, mobilizing family physicians to underserved regions, and establishing family medicine-specific entry streams. These suggestions present a comprehensive roadmap for addressing both immediate and long-term challenges.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sanfilippo (2023) 's argument effectively outlines the family physician shortage in
Canada, attributing it to limitations in the medical training system. However, the absence of concrete solutions diminishes the practical utility of his analysis. Addressing the shortage requires a multifaceted approach, including increasing residency positions, attracting foreign graduates, and restructuring the healthcare system's approach to primary care. The pressing question remains: would it be better for the government to provide more residency positions and attract more doctors from overseas to overcome this shortage? While Sanfilippo's call for collaborative reform is commendable, implementing concrete and actionable solutions is crucial for enacting change."
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
7
References
Crawley, M. (2023, January). Why it's hard to find a family doctor — and what's being done about it. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-family-doctors-
physician-shortage-workers-wanted-1.6730091
Keller, T. (2023, August). Canada has a doctor shortage. But if governments wanted, we could have a doctor surplus. Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], A11. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canada-has-a-doctor-
shortage-but-if-governments-wanted-we-could-have-a/
Li, K., Frumkin, A., Bi, W. G., et al. (2023). Biopsy of Canada’s family physician shortage. Family Medicine and Community Health, 11(e002236). doi: 10.1136/fmch-2023-002236.
8
DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP
I confirm that I am the sole author of [please print the name of assignment here]
.
Beyond Diagnosis: A Prescription for Resolving Canada's Family Physician Shortage Crisis
This means that the assignment is my own work. I developed the ideas for, wrote, formatted, and
edited the assignment. I did not get the assistance of other individuals. In addition, any sources
that I refer to in the assignment have been acknowledged and cited.
Further, artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly) were not used in this
assessment.
This assessment has not been submitted for any other course, and I understand that it will be
vetted by Turnitin for its use of sources and for detection of AI-generated content.
Name: Fang Ruan
Signature: Fang Ruan
Date: Nov 26, 2023