Quebec considering changes to way patients are assigned to family doctors

Quebec considering changes to way patients are assigned to family doctors

Last week, Radio-Canada reported that Quebec was considering a change in how patients were assigned to see family doctors, prioritizing those with serious medical issues. If enacted, the change would mean that patients without serious health issues, even if they currently have a family doctor, would have to go through a version of the the Guichet d’accès à la première ligne (GAP), the province’s portal for primary care. What such a change would entail is the subject of a report released October 3 by Quebec’s health and social services institute (INESSS).

The report notes that roughly 1 in 4 Quebecers (~2.1 million) have not registered with a family doctor, and around 500,000 of those have major or moderate health issues.

“Right now, we’re giving a family doctor to many people without considering their condition, and doctors are asking us to say: “Well, if we want to take care of people properly, could we be more aware of those, I [won’t] say the most vulnerable, but those who are most likely to be sick?” Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dubé told Radio-Canada.

Dr. John Wootton, a long-time GP in Pontiac and former head of the area’s family medicine group, explained that the proposed change is part of a broader discussion about how to best provide front-line health services to Quebecers. He said that, if enacted, it  would require a large culture change, for both doctors and patients.

He said that while this proposed change doesn’t necessarily mesh well with the principles of preventative medicine, there may need to be significant changes to the system to ensure more equitable access to care in the province.

Pontiac MNA André Fortin, who also serves as the opposition critic for health, said that he was strongly opposed to the health minister’s proposal.