Family medicine access in Canada drops since 2016, survey suggests

Family doctors are often the first place Canadians turn for medical care, but the proportion of adults with access to a primary care provider has declined, a new survey suggests.

The international survey was conducted in 10 high-income countries by the Commonwealth Fund, a U.S.-based non-profit foundation that funds surveys of patients and health-care providers in multiple countries. A partner, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, released the findings on Thursday.

More than 4,500 Canadians were asked if they had a regular doctor or place of care, which may include a physician or a general health-care clinic and excludes emergency visits and hospital care.

Lack of access to a primary care provider negatively impacts the