Supply, Distribution and Migration of Canadian Physicians, 2005
Canadian Institute for Health Information (2006)
Canada’s physician supply growth is accompanied by changes in the numbers of physicians who leave and return to the country.
Over the past five years, the proportion of Canadian physicians moving in and out of the country has decreased by 30.6%. While both the number leaving and the number returning to the country are on the decline, Canada has seen a larger decrease in the number of physicians leaving the country. As a result, the proportion of physicians returning to the country is now greater than the proportion leaving.
* In 2001, the ratio of physicians moving abroad to those returning from abroad was 62:38, compared to 43:57 for 2005.
* In 2001, 889 Canadian physicians either moved abroad (555) or returned to Canada (334) compared to 2005 where 433 Canadian physicians either moved abroad (186) or returned to Canada (247).
* When comparing the number of physicians moving abroad to the number of physicians returning from abroad, Canada registered net physician losses from 2001 to 2003. Starting in 2004, Canada began registering net gains of 85 physicians in 2004 and 61 physicians in 2005 due to international migration.
Between 2001 and 2005 the number of physicians in Canada grew by 5.3%, a rate that has kept pace with population growth (4.0%).
* In 2001, there were 188 physicians per 100,000 population and in 2005 there were 190 physicians per 100,000 population.
* However, growth in the number of physicians per 100,000 population does not look the same for both family physicians and specialist physicians.
* The number of family physicians per 100,000 population increased from 95 in 2001 to 98 in 2005.
* The number of specialist physicians per 100,000 population dropped from 93 in 2001 to 91 in 2003, and rose to 92 in 2005.
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/products/supply_distribution_migration_canadian_physicians_2005_e.pdf
Comment:
By Don McCanne, MD
How often have you heard that Canadian doctors are fleeing en masse their disastrous health care system? Besides being a gross distortion, the numbers have actually been declining, and, in the last two years, the migration has actually reversed. More Physicians are moving into Canada than are leaving. This is one more factoid of the opposition that should be promptly refuted.
From a policy perspective, the more important issue is the physician supply in Canada. The growth of the number of physicians has exceeded the population growth, and, even more important, the number of family physicians per capita has been increasing as the number of specialists remains fairly stable. The policy community is in agreement that a strong primary care base ensures higher quality care at a lower cost. Canada has been effective in reinforcing its primary care infrastructure, while primary care in the United States is rapidly deteriorating.
The point? Do not let others dismiss health care reform by diverting the debate to an attack on Canada when we have so much more to be ashamed of here in the United States. Canada is working on their system. We desperately need to fix ours.
