A survey carried out by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) shows that more than half of Canadian physicians and medical learners have experienced severe work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CMA said in a report released March 23 that 53 per cent experienced high levels of burnout based on a survey carried out in November 2021.
This compares with 30 per cent in a similar survey conducted in 2017, said the report.
Further to that, the report said 46 per cent, or nearly half of the Canadian physicians who responded have considered reducing their clinical work in the next 24 months.
Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the CMA, said the results of the survey were startling.
"We should be deeply alarmed that half of the physician workforce is considering reducing their clinical workload," Smart said.
She added the impact to patient care would be significant as there are already access to care issues in Canada.
"There is no question that the pandemic has greatly affected our health workforce. As we look to rebuild our healthcare system, we need to prioritize the people who work within it and call on all governments to take action now."
The CMA said the preliminary survey data was released following an emergency meeting of nearly 40 national and provincial health organizations representing Canada's health workforce.
The organizations were united, said the CMA, in a call to implement a national human health resources strategy and to work at rebuilding Canada's health care system.
Additional information from the survey revealed the following:
- 59 per cent of physicians indicated their mental health has worsened since the onset of the pandemic.
- Nearly half (47 per cent) of physicians reported low levels of social wellbeing.
The CMA said the National Physician Health Survey was conducted in the fall of 2021. The survey was open for five weeks and received more than 4,000 responses from Canadian physicians and medical learners.
The CMA said the information revealed in Wednesday's report contained preliminary data. A more complete report is to be published later this year.
Len Gillis is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Sudbury.com, covering health care. The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible with funding from the federal government.
