The First Ministers committed to achieving meaningful reductions in wait times in priority areas such as cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging, joint replacements, and sight restoration by March 31, 2007. Focusing on cancer services, there’s still much work to be done.
Nearly 1 in 5 family physicians or general practitioners in Canada (19%) rated access for their patients to cancer care services as fair or poor. Figure 1 illustrates the variations in access to cancer care services by the populations primarily served by family physicians.
Family physicians play an important role in providing care for patients with cancer. Nationally, 86% of FPs provide care for patients with cancer. Patients with cancer comprise at least 10% of the patient population for 8% of FPs. These percentages vary by both the geographic location and the primary population served by physicians, as illustrated in Figure 2.
Results are based on the 2007 National Physician Survey, a unique collaborative project of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Additional results are available at www.nationalphysiciansurvey.ca.
If you would like the opportunity to develop and write a future Fast Fact using the National Physician Survey results, please contact Sarah Scott, National Physician Survey and Janus Project Coordinator, at 800 387–6197, extension 289, or sks{at}cfpc.ca.
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