EDMONTON—Family physicians practising in rural areas and small towns are more likely to accept new patients than their counterparts in cities, according to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) released last week.
The 26-page report says that of the rural doctors surveyed, 35 percent were accepting new patients, while less than 18 percent—fewer than one in five—of urban doctors were keeping their doors open to new patients.
Going further than previous studies, the report also discusses factors that affect the likelihood of rural and urban doctors accepting new patients.
One of the strongest factors is the place of graduation, with international medical graduates being more likely to see new patients, particularly in rural areas.
In rural areas, 62 percent of international graduates were accepting new patients, compared to 27 percent among Canadian-educated doctors. In urban areas, the figures for the international graduates and Canadian-educated doctors were 27 percent and 16 percent respectively.
International medical graduates account for 25.5 percent of rural family physicians and 17.3 percent of urban family physicians, according to the 2007 National Physician Survey, on which the report is based.
Other factors influencing the likelihood of family physicians keeping their practices open include belonging to a group.
“When focusing our attention on rural areas, we found that family physicians who belonged to a group or interprofessional practice were also more likely to accept new patients, as were male family physicians,” the report says. This trend also holds true for urban doctors.
Age also matters, with the physicians at the two ends of the spectrum being more open to new patients than those aged 45 to 54. Rural family physicians working the same number of hours per week as their urban counterparts are also significantly more likely to accept new patients.
The report notes that satisfaction with professional life does not appear to influence the likelihood of a rural family physician accepting new patients. However, it is a major factor among urban family physicians, with those who are satisfied with their professional lives being significantly more likely to accept new patients.
The 26-page report says that of the rural doctors surveyed, 35 percent were accepting new patients, while less than 18 percent—fewer than one in five—of urban doctors were keeping their doors open to new patients.
Going further than previous studies, the report also discusses factors that affect the likelihood of rural and urban doctors accepting new patients.
One of the strongest factors is the place of graduation, with international medical graduates being more likely to see new patients, particularly in rural areas.
In rural areas, 62 percent of international graduates were accepting new patients, compared to 27 percent among Canadian-educated doctors. In urban areas, the figures for the international graduates and Canadian-educated doctors were 27 percent and 16 percent respectively.
International medical graduates account for 25.5 percent of rural family physicians and 17.3 percent of urban family physicians, according to the 2007 National Physician Survey, on which the report is based.
Other factors influencing the likelihood of family physicians keeping their practices open include belonging to a group.
“When focusing our attention on rural areas, we found that family physicians who belonged to a group or interprofessional practice were also more likely to accept new patients, as were male family physicians,” the report says. This trend also holds true for urban doctors.
Age also matters, with the physicians at the two ends of the spectrum being more open to new patients than those aged 45 to 54. Rural family physicians working the same number of hours per week as their urban counterparts are also significantly more likely to accept new patients.
The report notes that satisfaction with professional life does not appear to influence the likelihood of a rural family physician accepting new patients. However, it is a major factor among urban family physicians, with those who are satisfied with their professional lives being significantly more likely to accept new patients.
