RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Being community-responsive physicians. Doing the right thing. JF Canadian Family Physician JO Can Fam Physician FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada SP 1004 OP 1010 VO 50 IS 7 A1 Ivy Oandasan A1 Rebecca Malik A1 Ian Waters A1 Anita Lambert-Lanning YR 2004 UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/50/7/1004.abstract AB OBJECTIVE To explore how primary care physicians respond to a community's needs and challenges. DESIGN Qualitative study using focus groups. SETTING Fee-for-service practices or community health centres in downtown Toronto, Ont. PARTICIPANTS Purposive sample of 21 community family physicians (10 women and 11 men). METHOD Participants were invited to join focus groups of four to six physicians. Themes were derived from qualitative analysis of the data using grounded theory. MAIN FINDINGS Three major themes were identified by these community-responsive physicians: they carry out specific roles (collaborator, health educator, advocate, resource, and tailor of care); they face several challenges, including lack of funding and a dysfunctional health care system; and they share common beliefs about practising medicine. Whether current health care structures support physicians to actually carry out these roles in practice, however, is unclear. CONCLUSION This study increased understanding of how primary care physicians respond to community needs and what they experience in the process.