{"id":21972,"date":"2025-06-16T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ices.on.ca\/?post_type=news_release&#038;p=21972"},"modified":"2025-07-29T13:18:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T17:18:31","slug":"more-family-doctors-near-retirement-raising-concern-about-future-of-primary-care","status":"publish","type":"news_release","link":"https:\/\/www.ices.on.ca\/fr\/news-releases\/more-family-doctors-near-retirement-raising-concern-about-future-of-primary-care\/","title":{"rendered":"More family doctors near retirement, raising concern about future of primary care"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Kingston, ON, June 16, 2025<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> \u2013 <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A new ICES study has found that 1.74 million patients in Ontario are attached to family physicians aged 65 or older, and that many of those patients are elderly and have complex medical needs.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The study, published in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.46747\/cfp.7106406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Canadian Family Physician<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, explored key trends in the characteristics of comprehensive family physicians (FPs)\u2014those providing care for a broad range of ages and health needs\u2014and the patients attached to them.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The researchers found that for the first time, there was no growth of the comprehensive FP workforce, and an overall decline in the number of early career physicians (under 35 years old.)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cA major challenge Ontario faces is an aging family physician workforce that is nearing retirement. Although we found family physicians are practicing longer than expected \u2013 into their 70s, in fact \u2013 as these physicians retire, the number of patients without a family doctor will increase, especially as fewer early career physicians are choosing family medicine,\u201d says Dr. Kamila Premji, a family physician, assistant professor in family medicine at the University of Ottawa, and PhD candidate in family medicine at Western University\u2019s Schulich School of Medicine &amp; Dentistry.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A primary care system in flux<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The study included over 11 million Ontario patients as of March 2022, and 9,375 comprehensive FPs. This was an updated analysis of similar cohorts from 2008, 2013, and 2019.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Along with a decline in the overall growth of the FP workforce and greater proportion at retirement age, the findings also showed that females made up the majority of the comprehensive workforce. Overall, a declining proportion of FPs are practicing comprehensiveness, from 77% in 2008 to 65% in 2022.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.annfammed.org\/content\/23\/3\/181#sec-13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">recent study<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> by some of the same researchers showed that many FPs are choosing to work in hospitals instead of practicing comprehensive family medicine.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00ab\u00a0The data helps us to better understand the shortages we are facing, and informs strategies like team-based care, which can better support family physicians who provide comprehensive care and can reduce burnout,\u201d says Premji.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Compared to the overall FP workforce, the authors found that near-retirement FPs were caring for a higher proportion of patients aged 65 or older, and many with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and frailty.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cLooking to the future, we are concerned that the primary care system may not be able to absorb these medically complex patients who are attached to retiring family physicians, which will only exacerbate the current crisis,\u201d says senior author Dr. Bridget Ryan, adjunct scientist at ICES and an associate professor at <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Western&rsquo;s Schulich School of Medicine &amp; Dentistry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Misty Pratt<\/span><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"none\">Senior Communications Associate, ICES<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:Media@ices.on.ca\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Media@ices.on.ca<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"none\">343-961-6982<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ICES<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fis an independent, not-for-profit research and analytics institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. ICES leads cutting-edge studies and analyses evaluating healthcare policy, delivery, and population outcomes. Our knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about healthcare delivery and to develop policy. For the latest ICES news, follow us on BlueSky and LinkedIn: @ICESOntario<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">The University of Ottawa<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u202fis home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada\u2019s top 10 research universities\u2014our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today\u2019s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe.\u202f <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.uottawa.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">www.uottawa.ca<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ABOUT WESTERN<\/span><\/b><br \/>\nWestern\u202fUniversity delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western\u202fExperience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual,\u202fsocial and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence\u202fexpands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts\u202findividuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international\u202fcommunity.<b>\u202f<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kingston, ON, June 16, 2025 \u2013 A new ICES study has found that 1.74 million patients in Ontario are attached to family physicians aged 65 or older, and that many of those patients are elderly and have complex medical needs.\u00a0 The study, published in Canadian Family Physician, explored key trends in the characteristics of comprehensive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","migration-helper-automated":[],"migration-manual":[],"topic":[62,28],"class_list":["post-21972","news_release","type-news_release","status-publish","hentry","topic-health-services-research","topic-primary-care"],"acf":{"infographic":"","journal_article":[21973],"research_report":"","atlas":"","research_program":[6747,6745],"site":[6736],"ices_scientist":"","announce_or_event":"","video":"","iitn_type":"Article","iitn_title":"","iitn_short_title":"Q&A: As more Ontario family doctors near retirement, new ones are needed to care for aging patients","iitn_source_link_url":"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/london\/q-a-as-more-ontario-family-doctors-near-retirement-new-ones-are-needed-to-care-for-aging-patients-1.7564651","iitn_source_link_text":"","sitecore_item_id":"","sitecore_item_name":"","sitecore_field_values":"","previous_url":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - 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