{"id":530039,"date":"2022-12-21T18:55:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T15:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/my-prediction-more-ers-will-close-and-more-doctors-will-burn-out\/"},"modified":"2022-12-21T18:55:27","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T15:55:27","slug":"my-prediction-more-ers-will-close-and-more-doctors-will-burn-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/my-prediction-more-ers-will-close-and-more-doctors-will-burn-out\/","title":{"rendered":"#My Prediction: More ERs will close and more doctors will burn out"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3732504d40a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3732504d40a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/my-prediction-more-ers-will-close-and-more-doctors-will-burn-out\/#%E2%80%9CMy_Prediction_More_ERs_will_close_and_more_doctors_will_burn_out%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;My Prediction: More ERs will close and more doctors will burn out&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CMy_Prediction_More_ERs_will_close_and_more_doctors_will_burn_out%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;My Prediction: More ERs will close and more doctors will burn out&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                            Without a viable national strategy, Canada\u2019s health-care system will continue to collapse.\n                        <\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p3\"><i>Alika Lafontaine is the President of the Canadian Medical Association.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">M<span class=\"s1\">ost Canadians have only become aware of the country\u2019s <\/span><span class=\"s2\">severe health-care labour shortage within the last two years. The headlines have been alarming: emergency rooms are shutting down, and patients are waiting months to see specialists. Some have even tried to recruit physicians by putting ads in local <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>papers. This crisis, which has been decades in the making, is still far from resolved. It could reach a breaking point in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Physicians are extremely burnt out, and it\u2019s no wonder why: a study from the University of Chicago found that if American primary-care physicians followed national guidelines for preventative, chronic disease and acute care, it would take them more hours than there are in a day (26.7) to see an average number of patients.<span class=\"s2\"> You could just as easily <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ly those findings <\/span>to Canadian doctors, who follow<span class=\"s2\"> similar care guidelines. Our 2021 National Physician Health Survey showed that physicians are considering working fewer hours. Many of our nursing colleagues are doing the same. It\u2019s likely that staffing shortages and access to medical care will only worsen in 2023, and patients and their families will feel the greatest burden.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">Hospitals could increase physician retention rates by improving working conditions. They could train and integrate medical scribes and physician assistants to free up bandwidth for direct patient care. They could develop team-based care models where several people share the load. Some hospital-based rehabilitation programs, for instance, are forming transdisciplinary teams\u2014of physicians, nurses, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> workers and physical and occupational therapists\u2014which create better communication and improve patient care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Canada has also never had a country-wide human resources system dedicated to the health-care workforce. We have 13 health jurisdictions, each with its own localized plan. Many of those jurisdictions are already prioritizing mental health and increasing system capacity, but they still operate separately. Providers are burdened by red tape. I know a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> surgeon who practises in Atlantic Canada and sees patients in four provinces because those are the only areas that cover particular types of care. So that doctor has to work under four provincial jurisdictions every year, losing hours to administrative work that could otherwise be dedicated to patients\u2014or their own personal life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Pan-Canadian licensure would remove barriers in virtual medi<span class=\"s2\">cine. If we had pan-national licensing, doctors could provide vir<\/span>tual care in places where they couldn\u2019t work before and alleviate pressure on local physicians. Imagine a scenario in which a patient in Yellowknife needs virtual care and cannot get an appointment with a provider near them because the doctors are overbooked. Under a pan-Canadian system, they could go online and consult with a licensed doctor from Calgary.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">Last March, the federal government identified its top five pri<span class=\"s2\">orities for new health-care spending: shortening service backlogs, better long-term and home-care services, more resources for mental health and substance abuse, bolstered virtual-care resources, and stabilizing primary care\u2014the most pressing priority, in my opinion. There are reasons to hope that a revamp could come in 2023. At the Council of the Federation meeting in Victoria last July, premiers focused heavily on strengthening health-care partnerships between the provincial and federal governments, as well as on improving patient care. There is certainly an appetite for better coordination across our siloed health systems.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">But talking about it is not enough. People, especially doctors, want to see action. For years, providers like myself have sacrificed key parts of our lives in service of a system that no longer works. What\u2019s different now is that we don\u2019t have anything left to sacrifice. There is no capacity; we\u2019ve maxed out our time. Unless we see major structural changes, I don\u2019t have much confidence that things will get better in the coming year. COVID revealed how close Canada\u2019s health-care system is to collapse, but it also showed that strong collaboration can go a long way. Faced with the pandemic, leaders from across the country worked together to mitigate the virus\u2019s damage in a short period of time. I hope we can work together again to fix the current crisis before we reach the point of no return. We\u2019re getting close.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014 As Told To Alex Cyr\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">This story is part of our annual \u201cYear Ahead\u201d package. Read the rest of our predictions for 2023 here.<\/i><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>This article appears in print in the December 2022 issue of<\/em> Maclean\u2019s <em>magazine. Buy the issue for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/canadianmags.ca\/collections\/macleans-single-issues\">$9.99<\/a> or better yet, subscribe to the monthly print magazine for just\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/canadianmags.ca\/collections\/macleans-single-issues\">$39.99<\/a><\/em>.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1242158 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cover_January_DRE-e1669907996601.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"666\" height=\"909\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/year-ahead\/doctors-ers-burnout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;My Prediction: More ERs will close and more doctors will burn out&#8221; Without a viable national strategy, Canada\u2019s health-care system will continue to collapse. Alika Lafontaine is the President of the Canadian Medical Association.\u00a0 Most Canadians have only become aware of the country\u2019s severe health-care labour shortage within the last two years. The headlines have&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":530040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/YA_THINKER_AlikaLafontaine-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[132040,136313,136847],"class_list":["post-530039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-burnout","tag-healthcare-crisis","tag-year-ahead-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=530039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=530039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=530039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=530039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}