Deficiency of General and Family Physicians in Canada - Research Paper Example

Current issues in Health Care Introduction In recent years, there has been a down turn in graduate numbers from medical school preferring family practice as their first priority careers. These are attributed to many students currently graduating with large debt burden (Nesmith, 2000). They see enormous opportunities subdue their financial loads by joining specialties beside family medicine. If better support and remuneration are provided to family physicians on practice, the healthcare system will be able to stimulate graduates to prefer family practice careers. Shortage of Family Doctors The existing family doctors have been overburdened. For instance, a family doctor in Canada spends about 49 normally programmed hours each week. For the 65% of them who also give after-hours service on-call, the averages on workload go to about 70 hours every week. Consequently, 55% of family physicians' procedures are bursting, hence they either constraint the new patient admissions or deny entry to any patients (Faimer, 2007). People without family doctors lack personal physicians to take care of their medical issues or to manage their care. Therefore, their wait times could be longer thus less satisfied with dispensable health care. A limited number of all types of physicians are being trained in the medical schools (Scully& Tyrrell, 1999). Medical school enrolment cited cutbacks to this issue. In Canada, physicians with medical degrees from other countries intending to obtain physician license are vetted. Ordinarily their skills and know how should meet Canadian standards, with familiarity in issues affecting health care. They undertake assessment sessions to evaluate their skills to synchronize with training obtained by ordinary Canadian medical graduates (Nesmith, 2000). In the recent past, many foreign-trained doctors undergo lengthy periods of waiting prior to accessing such programs. Moreover, some government initiatives have seen increased allocation of resources support activities of assessing and training more foreign graduates to become acquainted with Canadian medical system (Scully& Tyrrell, 1999). Effect of Doctor Shortages in Health Care Deficiency of general and family physicians results in protracted waiting lists to get appointments and receive services. For instance, in Massachusetts, health care coverage was expanded to comprise the uninsured in 2006 (Faimer, 2007). The objective was to provide residents with consistent access to physicians and treatments. With increased demand, the system became overburdened. An avalanche of disappointing statistics indicated that it takes two to five weeks to get attention of some specialists. There is also a 15% rise in family physicians number who are not seeing new patients. The increase in levels of insured citizens shows an alarming physician shortage. It is expected that the effect will toll on the 46 million Americans presently without insurance coverage (Nesmith, 2000). Physician shortages are specifically evident in peri-urban and rural households, demonstrating a change in nationwide demographics relating to baby boomers and their health care desires. It also affects trends of enrollment in medical school and their specialization. In spite of recent happenings, physician shortages have critical implications to patients. The Effect of the nursing profession on Healthcare Shortage of doctors results to poorer health output. Patients delay in receiving care since the absence of a general physician to diagnose and treat, consults with other doctors. They also move from one specialist to another to obtain a resolution (Faimer, 2007). Presence of a primary care physician is significant sustaining good health. It is problematic to have doctor shortage, as well as general and family physicians. It is recommended by American Association of Family Practitioners (AAFP) that 41.6 family physicians should be present in every 100,000 people. Many medical communities around the world are trying to struggle with the effects of doctor shortages. Many patients fail to seek care, regular prevention or management of chronic diseases, thus ending up in the emergency department. Many visit community health clinics since they accept walk-in patients. Current issues in Health Care Medical Costs The medical insurance costs are influenced partly by gender, age, pre-existing medical situations and profile statistics. Humans are motivated to reject their ideal jobs, high salaries and desired job locations to safeguard present self and their family’s medical coverage (Faimer, 2007). They are obliged to consider their marital status like being single, separated legally or divorced in accessing medical coverage that is affordable. It is known that marital status is not a significant factor in receiving health care (Nesmith, 2000). Humanity is being taken aback on how it surpassed the faith and money utility, liability and system of compensation. This cannot be a means of administering medicine or obtaining future prosperity. Global Cooperation Deficiencies Inadequate global cooperation keeps governments in a spree of protracted negotiations, renegotiations, experiments and revisits with policies and philosophies of health care that are substandard to worlds noble ideals (Faimer, 2007). Current health care policies intend to prioritize on financially rewarding, but competitive-based models that does not sustain livelihoods for many years. People with financial capabilities have less health care needs. However, they consume higher proportion of care. People with meager means have greatest health problems, but consume the least care. Spending on public health services accrues benefits to the rich at the expense of the poor. It happens equally in both high and low income countries. Universal health Care Several arguments have been brought up concerning a universal system. One argument requires some level of wealth transfer should happen from the haves to the have not. Transfers usually infringe on the freedom of taxable individuals. Provision of access to health allows individuals to enjoy greater freedom, and shared responsibility to the society. As a result, social equity and personal freedom exist in harmony (Nesmith, 2000). At some instant, debates assume ideological rather than practical perspectives as nations make attempts extend universal health care. Providing support personal freedoms increases societal avenues of staying healthy. Numerous ways exists in such a system as government funded national systems (tax paid) state funded though user fees are needed to top up. Health insurance systems are supported by governments and citizens or both. Decentralized and in most cases, private systems, either operate for profit or not (Scully& Tyrrell, 1999). Practitioner nurses filling the shortage of family doctors Existing shortage of principal care physicians will worsen unless nurses and nurse practitioners come up to fill the gaps in offering required care. Owing to the extensive scope of practice among Nurse Practitioners, their supplemented experience is obtained from schooling and fieldwork. Nurse Practitioners become indispensable in alleviating the state’s physician shortage and giving outstanding healthcare to the population (Nesmith, 2000). Nurse Practitioners are qualified and well educated in the provision of healthcare with the ability to undertake absolute physical exams. They can also carry out health history, perform diagnosis and prefer treatment to ordinary minor injuries or illnesses. In addition, nurses make orders and translate laboratory results, x-rays, chronic illness. Moreover, Nurse Practitioners do patient management to stabilize sophisticated chronic illness occurring in unstable chronic situations. Nurse Practitioners can prescribe medications in line with the state laws in practice. In addition, many US states are presently revising laws and regulations, to permit independent practice to Nurse Practitioners to engage more, with limited physician participation (Scully& Tyrrell, 1999). Predictable shortage of principal care physicians such as Pediatric Nurse Practitioners is common in the principal and settings with acute care. It assumes an extended responsibility of autonomous patient care. Pediatric Nurse Practitioners are valuable options to physicians as autonomous practitioners. They are highly competent thus collaborate with team members to play a chief responsibility in giving an answer to busy practice settings. Conclusion Investment in family medicine should be encouraged as a career path. This will support extension of family medicine to medical schools. The demand for family doctors is immense as they double the number of training positions or residencies in family medicine. There should be sufficient funds for both teaching programs and the trainees. Improved financial support should help cater for tuition and future family doctors to join medical school. Family doctors in practice need better remuneration so as to make family medicine a more attractive alternative for graduates of medical school with massive debt burden. Many countries highly value family doctors, so it is the right time for those responsible for states health care system to ensure those family doctors and other medical specialists receives a lot of support and better remuneration. References Scully, H., & Tyrrell, L. (1999). Task Force on Physician Supply in Canada. Canadian Medical Forum Task Force: Ottawa. 1-24. Nesmith, L. (2000). License requirements for international medical graduates: Should national standards be adopted? Journal of Canadian Medical Association 162.6 (2000): 795-796. Faimer, E. (2007). Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research. IMED Search Instructions. Boston: Allan and Wayne. Read More