The Nursing Home Physician: Supporting a Threatened Resource

In 2003, medical leaders in Continuing Care in Calgary, Alberta, conducted a satisfaction survey of the 150 attending physicians working in the medium-sized Canadian city’s Long-Term Care (LTC) centers. Of the 43% responses, a sobering 69% expressed a strong intention to quit LTC work in the ensuing 5 years.1 Physicians reported that regardless of their level of satisfaction with practice, the top 3 reasons to leave were remuneration, time, and impact on office practice. A survey of Ontario physicians in 2008 found similar intentions; 46% of respondents had considered leaving LTC practice.