As several provinces struggle to contain the fourth wave of the pandemic and manage the spread of the Delta variant, many health systems — and the care providers within them — are reaching a breaking point. For the better part of two years, physicians have faced unprecedented levels of change, uncertainty, stress and strain.
The 2021 National Physician Health Survey (NPHS) will allow the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to gain a deeper understanding of the health and wellness of practising physicians, residents and medical students at this critical time. What are the key factors affecting their practices, daily interactions, lifestyles and mental health? How has the pandemic affected pre-existing challenges or brought about new ones?
By taking part in the survey and sharing their experiences, participants will help the CMA, and other stakeholders, identify the individual- and system-level changes needed to better support physicians, create a healthier medical culture and guide the country’s post-pandemic recovery.
“Having a healthy workforce — both mentally and physically — is critical to the future success of the medical profession and to the delivery of high-quality patient care.” — Dr. Katharine Smart, CMA president
Feedback from the survey will help the CMA generate an up-to-date national data set that can be used by researchers, educators and health organizations to advance physician health and wellness programs.
The CMA plans to share the overall findings of the survey in the spring of 2022.
Privacy
The information participants share will remain strictly confidential and anonymous. Individuals are under no obligation to participate in the survey, and if they choose to participate they are not required to answer every question. By completing the survey, participants consent to their feedback being used as part of the study.
Background
The CMA launched the NPHS in 2017 to gain a deeper understanding of the factors affecting physician health and wellness. The first survey of nearly 3,000 physicians and residents across Canada provided valuable baseline data on a range of wellness indicators, broken down by categories such as gender, years of practice and specialty.
The 2021 NPHS will allow the CMA to make comparisons with the 2017 NPHS, to track any improvements and/or declines in wellness and to identify emerging challenges facing the medical profession. The CMA aims to administer the NPHS every three to four years to ensure the data remain relevant.