Most Quebecers welcome care from non-doctor health professionals: survey

A large majority (90%) of Quebecers are open to being cared for by a healthcare provider other than a doctor and 70% say there should be increased use of other health professionals in the care pathway, according to a survey from the Collège des médecins du Québec. There should also be better sharing of patient information between the various health professionals, according to 74% of the province's population. Close to 40% expressed views that were critical of the quality of collaboration between family physicians and doctors from other specialties. These findings align with a widely held belief among 83% of province’s physicians, who told the college that greater access to other health professionals is the main solution for improving Quebecers’ ability to get medical care when they need it. “The challenges are enormous to improve the current situation and we must continue to advocate the inclusion of other health professionals, alongside family physicians, to expand access to the front line,” CMQ president Dr. Mauril Gaudreault, in a press release. Read: Time to make time: Tentative deal with Quebec FPs to require them to allocate certain hours to urgent care The survey also underlined the difficulty of securing time with a physician, with 86% saying it’s tough to get an appointment with a medical specialist and 67% saying the same of family doctors. Psychologists in the public network are the hardest to access, according to 82% of physicians and 50% of citizens. Whether it’s with a specialist or family physician, evening and weekend appointments are problematic. Almost all (94%) of physicians and 88% of citizens told the college it’s difficult to obtain an appointment during these periods. Problems with access have led to many Quebecers foregoing a visit to the doctor. Of the 40% who said they felt the need to consult a health professional over the past 12 months but did not, 39% said they couldn't get an appointment while 21% said they felt it would take too long to get an appointment. The survey included responses from 2,675 physicians registered with the college and 1,125 members of the public. Read: Empowering Canadians to improve our healthcare system

Most Quebecers welcome care from non-doctor health professionals: survey

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