How Satisfied Are Primary Care Physicians Around the World—and Why It Matters in Canada
A new cross-national study published in BMC Primary Care (2025) sheds important light on what makes family doctors happy—or deeply frustrated—at work. Drawing on data from over 13,000 primary care physicians (PCPs) across 11 Western countries, the findings offer not just a snapshot of global physician satisfaction but critical lessons for Canada’s ongoing primary care crisis.
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What Did the Study Find?
Physician job satisfaction varied widely across countries:
- Highest satisfaction: Switzerland (69%), Norway (61%), and Australia (59%)
- Lowest satisfaction: France (33%), Germany (13%), UK (15%)
Canada sat somewhere in the middle. But what truly mattered wasn’t just where doctors worked, but how they worked.
Key Drivers of Physician Satisfaction
Three factors stood out as the strongest predictors of job dissatisfaction:
- Poor work-life balance (high workload): OR = 2.80
- Inadequate time with patients: OR = 1.91
- Low satisfaction with income: OR = 2.64
Despite some variations, physicians who experienced less job-related stress, less administrative burden, and more meaningful time with patients were far more likely to report high satisfaction levels.
Why This Matters for OFHC and Orleans Residents
At Orleans Family Health Clinic, we understand that physician satisfaction isn’t just a staffing issue—it directly affects access to care, patient outcomes, and community health equity.
When doctors are overworked or undervalued, consequences follow:
- Shorter visits with patients
- Burnout and early retirement
- Reluctance of medical students to enter family medicine
That’s why OFHC is reimagining how primary care is delivered, building systems that respect our physicians’ time, expertise, and well-being.
Our Solution: The OFHC Model of Care
We’re addressing the very problems flagged in this study by:
- Recruiting and supporting top-tier family doctors through a welcoming, collaborative environment.
- Expanding team-based care to reduce physician workloads.
- Streamlining administrative processes to give doctors back their time.
- Offering unmatched integration between physicians, pharmacists, and nurse practitioners.
A Call to Action for Health Leaders
The study urges policymakers to consider physician job satisfaction not as a soft metric, but as a core pillar of a functional healthcare system. If Canada wants to avoid worsening doctor shortages and rising burnout, the time to act is now.
OFHC is already doing the work—building a model that supports both our patients and our physicians. Let’s scale this vision across the country.
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