Albertans Overwhelmingly Happy with Doctors, But Can't See Them

The majority of Albertans surveyed reported satisfaction with their family doctor visits, with 82% having seen a doctor in the past year and 81% of those satisfied with the quality of interaction. Despite this, access remains a significant challenge, as only about half of patients reported timely appointments. Currently, 16% of Albertans do not have a family doctor, a slight decrease from the previous year. For those seeking a physician, nearly 30% find no doctors are accepting new patients locally.

Access to a family doctor strongly correlates with overall healthcare satisfaction. Those with good access report 72% satisfaction, compared to 53% for those still searching. Experts note that while recruitment efforts have increased the number of doctors, an overall undersupply persists relative to patient needs. This leads to issues like duplicated care and inconsistent prescriptions. A team-based care model is suggested as a more efficient solution to improve access and better utilize existing physicians.