CFPC polls finds patients more comfortable with family physicians for primary care over pharmacists, nurse practitioners
Amid the ongoing debate over expanded scope of practice for nurse practitioners and pharmacists to fill gaps in primary care, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) is touting a new poll that suggests Canadians are more comfortable receiving care from a family doctor over non-physician primary care providers.
The survey of more than 2,000 Canadians, commissioned by the CPFC and conducted by Nanos Research, found that 80% of respondents would be comfortable with a family doctor when it comes to receiving care for minor health concerns, while 14% would be somewhat comfortable.
However, just 45% said they would be comfortable with a non-physician primary care provider such as a nurse practitioner or pharmacist, while 37% said they would be somewhat comfortable.
Similarly, for minor health concerns, 74% said they would be comfortable with a primary care team featuring a family doctor, while 42% said they would be comfortable with a team of primary care providers with no family doctors.
Read: Ontario explores expanding responsibilities for pharmacists, but faces pushback from doctors
The statistics were similar when respondents were asked about their comfort level when receiving care for major health concerns. Of the respondents, 70% said they would be comfortable with a family doctor, while 21% said they would be comfortable with a non-physician primary care provider.
For managing chronic conditions, diagnosis of new health concerns, the creation of a treatment plan for a new health condition, and receiving mental health services, between 65%-to-76% said they would be comfortable with a family doctor. However, for non-physician primary care providers, just 27%-to-38% said the same.
The college says these findings show there is “no substitute for family doctors.”
“There is no substitute for family doctors and the foundational value they bring to Canada’s healthcare system, providing continuous and comprehensive patient care and clinical leadership in team-based settings,” said CFPC president Dr. Carrie Bernard in a news release on Thursday. “Canadians are unequivocal in their support for family doctors, wanting care provided by a family doctor. Governments must invest in family physicians today.”
In addition, Nanos also asked Canadian what their top issues to fix were when it comes to Canada’s healthcare system. Of the respondents, 60% said wait times for consulting specialists and surgeries, while 54% said ER wait times and 51% said access to family doctors.
For the upcoming federal election, 49% said access to having a family doctor is important in their voting decision, while 32% said the issue was somewhat important.
Meanwhile, satisfaction with family physicians has also increased, the survey found. Among the respondents who said they had a family doctor, when asked to rate their satisfaction with their family doctor on a scale on 0 to 10, 84% gave a rating of 7 or above. In comparison, 77% gave those ratings to their family doctor in 2023 and 75% in 2021.
