Health · Healthcare & Policy · 4 hrs ago
Ontario patients turn to social media to find specialists amid long waits
Ontario patients are turning to social media to find specialists as waits for care grow, the Ontario Medical Association says.
In a poll of 1,156 people, one in five said they waited six months or more to see a specialist, and 8 per cent were still waiting for an appointment.
Family doctors sometimes send several referrals for the same patient because they cannot see how long different specialists’ waiting lists are.
One family travelled from Peterborough to Mississauga after facing a year-long wait for a specialist for their child’s life-threatening allergy.
About 14 per cent said their household considered seeking care outside Canada, underscoring how difficult access can be.
The OMA wants a centralized referral system so patients and doctors can find available specialists, including those farther away.
It also wants community-based specialists included in Ontario’s team-based care model; the association has asked the provincial government to make these changes.
The Ontario Medical Association says long waits for specialist care are pushing patients to use Facebook and WhatsApp groups to find available doctors.
The association says patients with chronic conditions can wait months, while family doctors sometimes send multiple referrals to try to find faster care.
An Ipsos poll for the association found that one in five respondents had waited at least six months to see a specialist.
The OMA is calling for a centralized referral program and expanded team-based care involving community specialists.
- Who
- Ontario patients seeking specialist care, and the Ontario Medical Association, which represents the province’s physicians.
- What
- Patients are turning to social media to find specialists amid long waits. The OMA is calling for a centralized referral program and expanded team-based care.
- When
- The OMA presented the poll results at a media briefing on Monday. The poll was conducted from Oct. 13 to 19.
- Where
- Ontario, Canada.
- Why
- Patients face long waits and limited information about specialist availability, according to the OMA.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ontario expanded access to primary care through a team-based approach involving family doctors, nurse practitioners and other health professionals.
Ipsos conducted a poll for the Ontario Medical Association, questioning 1,156 people.
The Ontario Medical Association presented the poll results and called for a centralized referral program.
- Poll respondents
- 1,156 people
- Wait of six months or longer
- One in five respondents
- Still waiting for an appointment
- 8 per cent of respondents
- Households considering care outside Canada
- About 14 per cent of respondents
- Poll accuracy
- Within 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20
1 source
What people are saying
These delays have real consequences, and people are growing frustrated
We need a centralized system that’s going to allow for patients to be able to, if they can go further, get faster care.
The family physician or other specialist who wants to make a referral refers into a black box of unknowns