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SPRING 2010 |
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h e a l t h p o l i c y
Medical associations to conduct third national physician survey
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Stock Photo |
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Canada’s three
major national medical organizations are conducting the
third National Physician Survey this spring. The 2010
version will build on the growing body of knowledge from previous
surveys, greatly valued by researchers, educators, policy-makers
and planners.
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Submitted Article |
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Canada’s three major national medical
organizations are conducting the third National Physician Survey
(NPS) this spring. The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), The
Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and The Royal College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) achieved great success with the 2004 and
2007 NPS, yielding valuable insights into the medical profession in
Canada. The 2010 version will build on the growing body of knowledge
from previous surveys, greatly valued by researchers, educators,
policy-makers and planners.
Questionnaires will be distributed to
about 90,000 individuals, including all practicing family physicians and
other specialists as well as medical students and residents. Practicing
physicians will receive their questionnaires in May.
“At the Royal College, we believe the NPS
will provide us with critical insights that can be leveraged to develop
strategies to address the education and training of physicians to best
meet the health needs of all Canadians,” said Dr. William N. Fitzgerald
CM, FRCSC, president of the Royal College. “The NPS will also give us a
better understanding of the realities facing our specialists in an
evolving health care system. This includes identifying the barriers and
developing solutions to improve their practice environments.”
Dr. Cathy MacLean, president of the
College of Family Physicians of Canada, added, “The CFPC recognizes that
in order to assess the changing practice patterns and professional
preferences of family physicians, it's necessary to track these changes
over time. The NPS is a highly valued contribution to our understanding
of these trends so that we can recruit and retain the kind of physician
workforce that will meet the health care needs of all Canadians, both
now and in the future.”
CMA President Dr. Anne Doig described the
NPS as “the most comprehensive survey of the medical profession. As
physicians we strive to base our treatment decisions on the best
available evidence. The NPS is a similar ‘evidence-based tool’ as it
provides a deep pool of information upon which planning decisions
concerning future training and practice needs of physicians can be
based.”
The NPS 2010 will provide an in-depth look
at how physicians are currently working collaboratively, the impediments
they face in providing care to their patients, and how they are using
information technology in the workplace. The results will also provide a
glimpse into the future of medicine in Canada by describing the factors
that are shaping the future educational and career intentions of medical
students and residents. The highlights of the NPS 2010 will be released
to the public and key stakeholders in a series of public announcements
beginning in early 2011. More information including results of past NPS
surveys can be found at the
National Physician Survey website.
The NPS has been made possible through the
in-kind and financial contributions of the Canadian Medical Association,
the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health
Information.
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