Physician health and wellness data

Overview of the CMA’s National Physician Health Survey and other Canadian data sets on physician health and wellness.

Physician health has been a critical issue for several years, impacting physicians and medical learners themselves, the patients they care for and health system performance.

With many physicians facing unprecedented levels of change, uncertainty, stress and strain during the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the health and wellness issues facing physicians and medical learners in Canada is a priority of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).

Physician health and wellness survey reports

Results from physician health and wellness surveys, including the CMA’s National Physician Health Survey (NPHS), allow the CMA and other stakeholders to identify individual, organizational and system-level changes needed to better support physicians, residents and medical students, and to create a healthier medical culture and more effective health care system.

See reports

How to use the data

National data sets such as the NPHS and others can be utilized by researchers, leaders, educators and health organizations to identify physician wellness challenges, help build a case for support, drive advocacy and advance physician health and wellness programs. Research demonstrates that investing in physician health and wellness helps to protect physicians, patients and the health care system.

Learn more about the CMA’s work to drive change including:

Canadian Medical Association
Physician wellness: New 2021 National Physician Health Survey findings — burnout, short-staffing and an overburdened system take their toll

Canadian Medical Association
Physician profile: Dr. Sang and the 2021 National Physician Health Survey

Canadian Medical Association
Patient profiles: 2021 National Physician Health Survey results — navigating a broken system

Canadian Medical Association
The weight of administrative burden on Canadian physicians