Evidence shows more doctors key to better health care

Opinion Editorial

By: Dr. Ken Arnold, President of the Ontario Medical Association

There are few things more comforting than knowing that when you are sick a highly trained doctor will be there to care for you. It is a safety net that many of us take for granted. But for thousands of patients in Ontario, they have no family doctor to turn to when they need one.

As a result, there have been few alternatives for people seeking medical care and too often many end up in our hospitals.

A new report by the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) reveals the shortage of family doctors in the province results in thousands of excess emergency room visits and hospital admissions. Such potentially avoidable hospital visits contribute to the crowding of emergency rooms and to hospital bed shortages.

According to ICES, 15 percent of patients with at least one chronic disease do not have regular access to family doctor. There are 118,181 excess emergency room visits and 17,344 excess hospital admissions due to patients without regular, continuous care by a family doctor.

In an effort to combat the shortage of physicians on the ground, doctors have pulled together and increased workloads in order to increase access to primary care. Their efforts have resulted in thousands of new patients getting a regular family doctor.

With so many people depending on our health-care system we must continue to make improvements at a rapid rate. Our population is not only increasing, but we will have a large population of seniors who will require frequent and complex care.

Together, doctors and the provincial government have taken steps to address the doctor shortage and strengthen primary care in the province. However, the latest ICES study is proof that we cannot afford to stop the progress that has been made to date. Ensuring all patients in Ontario get access to a family doctor will not only help prevent the onset of chronic diseases, but help those who suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma manage their conditions.

Patients still need better access to doctors, tests and treatments and that is where the provincial government can make a difference. With a continued focus on recruiting and retaining doctors, building more care teams across the province and ensuring timely tests and treatments, Ontario can increase its supply of doctors so that all patients can get the care they need.