PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Roger Chafe
AU  - Andreas Laupacis
AU  - Wendy Levinson
TI  - Accepting new patients
DP  - 2011 Feb 01
TA  - Canadian Family Physician
PG  - e68--e73
VI  - 57
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.cfp.ca/content/57/2/e68.short
4100  - http://www.cfp.ca/content/57/2/e68.full
SO  - Can Fam Physician2011 Feb 01; 57
AB  - Objective To gauge the public’s opinion of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s (CPSO’s) policy on how primary care physicians should accept new patients. Design Deliberative citizens’ council. Setting Toronto, Ont. Participants Twenty-five public members of the Toronto Health Policy Citizens’ Council. Methods A 2-day council session was held, during which the new policy was presented and council members heard from experts with various perspectives on the issues involved. Council members then deliberated and developed recommendations concerning the policy. Main findings Council members agreed that a first-come, first-served policy was an appropriate method for family physicians to use when accepting new patients. They thought the policy’s exception, which allows physicians not to accept patients based on a lack of clinical competency in an area, should be clarified in order to avoid it being used as an excuse to inappropriately screen patients. Counsel members also encouraged the CPSO to publicize its policy as widely as possible, so that potential patients undergoing screening in the future will recognize that this goes against the CPSO’s policy and can take appropriate action if they wish. Conclusion How family physicians accept new patients into their practices is a sensitive issue. The CPSO policy provides guidance on how new patients should be admitted, which, if it is appropriately enacted, seems reasonable to informed members of the public.