A Physician's Perspective on Scope Expansion in Ontario
Rebecca Hicks
Candidate for OMA president-elect | Family Physician Specialist | FHT Lead Physician | SGFP Executive Member-at-Large | Chair of SGFP Engagement Committee | Health Policy Committee Member at OMA
As physicians we are trained to provide the highest standard of care possible to patients and to prize patient safety above all else.? As a physician, I am worried that recent changes to scope of practice for other healthcare practitioners have ignored concerns regarding patient safety in lieu of providing patients access to “convenient care.”
To provide an example, the most recent consultation that the government put forth for increasing the minor ailments that pharmacists can prescribe for includes jock itch.? As a physician who has diagnosed this condition countless times, I can say that making this diagnosis and prescribing the appropriate medication for it requires inspection of the rash.? This is in order to prevent misdiagnosis of other common dermatological conditions which could also arise in this area of the body, such as folliculitis or even certain types of sexually transmitted infections.? I am concerned that pharmacies are not set up with the appropriate space or equipment for patients to safely disrobe for this exam.? Which means that medications may be prescribed for a condition which has not been appropriately assessed.? This could lead to a misdiagnosis and further burden on the system if the patient requires a subsequent visit to address worsening symptoms.
While patient safety will always come first, there is another issue to be considered.? The government hails increases in scope for healthcare professionals as a solution for patients struggling to access care with a physician. But these solutions do not actually address the underlying concern, which is a human resources crisis for the doctors of Ontario.? We need more physicians and the way to achieve this is to invest in the doctors we have.? If we make Ontario an amazing place to practice medicine, we will keep the physicians we have and incentivize physicians from other places to work here as well.? We need to focus on the root of the problem rather than trying bandaid and patchwork solutions that focus on prioritizing convenience over high quality continuity of care.??
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2 个月I couldn’t agree more with the importance of addressing the root of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms, as this approach will only worsen the situation in the long run, as you’ve illustrated with your example. I’m a huge advocate of nurturing and supporting physicians, as patient safety and the quality of healthcare services should never be compromised. In my opinion, he best solutions are always those set for long-term success, because, in the end, they actually cost less than short-term fixes that can lead to bigger issues and significant budget burdens.