'It is a very negative force as far as health equity goes'
The growing role of incentives to attract doctors is putting a strain on some communities, according to an expert.
With local governments relying more and more on these incentives, communities that are seen as less desirable are being put in "an impossible situation,” said Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association, in a CBC report.
"It is a very negative force as far as health equity goes. It creates an unlevel playing field and it is out of a sense of desperation," Culbert said.
Bonus-driven recruitment is a "Hunger Games-style framing where communities have to compete for doctors and where communities are recruiting doctors from one community into their own,” said Dominik Nowak, Ontario Medical Association president.
Previously, another expert criticized Alberta’s $5,000 “Alberta is Calling” signing bonus.
What Ontario should be doing about the doctor shortage?
While Culbert doesn't blame communities for offering bonuses, he believes there are better ways to address rural doctor shortages. Possible options include student debt forgiveness tied to years of service in a community or introducing medical students to the benefits of rural work through short-term programs while in medical school, he said.
He also said the province needs to do more to address the gaps caused by its per capita health funding. The provincial government should address the overall shortage of family doctors, said Nowak in the CBC report.
Currently, one in five Ontarians are without a family doctor, he said. Because of this shortage, fewer people get an early diagnosis for serious illnesses, which ultimately puts more pressure on hospitals.
"What this means for communities is that they're feeling the pain," Nowak said.
Using administrative staff to ease a paperwork burden could help allow doctors to see more patients, he said. Currently, paperwork consumes an average of 19 hours per week, according to the CBC report.
A team-based care system – where nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and others work more collaboratively to support doctors – would also help, said Nowak.
Earlier this year, Manitoba announced it is investing $1.5 million over five years through a new program to mentor and support physicians in the first five years of their practice.
