Why family physicians are leaving comprehensive care

Why are family physicians leaving comprehensive care? A qualitative study on retention in ontario

2026-01-26

(Press-News.org) Original Research

Why Family Physicians Are Leaving Comprehensive Care

Background: Many people in Canada cannot find a regular family physician, partially due to some family physicians leaving comprehensive primary care earlier than planned. This study explored why family physicians in Ontario left comprehensive care and what policy changes they believed could help retain physicians. Researchers conducted a qualitative study using semistructured virtual interviews with 12 family physicians in Ontario who left comprehensive care within the past eight years.

What They Found: Family physicians described leaving comprehensive care because it had become financially unsustainable and increasingly difficult to manage. Key pressures included inadequate compensation, rising costs, heavy administrative workload, inefficient referral processes, limited access to team-based care, and feeling undervalued and unsupported by the health system.

Implications: The findings suggest that improving access to primary care requires urgent attention to retaining practicing family physicians, not just training new ones. Policies that improve financial stability, reduce administrative burden, and better support comprehensive family medicine may help physicians stay in practice longer.

Why Are Family Physicians Leaving Comprehensive Care? A Qualitative Study on Retention in Ontario

Colleen Grady, DBA, et al

Centre for Studies in Primary Care, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

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Why family physicians are leaving comprehensive care

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