Being community-responsive physicians. Doing the right thing.
OBJECTIVE
To explore how primary care physicians respond to a community's needs and challenges.


METHODS
Qualitative study using focus groups.


METHODS
Fee-for-service practices or community health centres in downtown Toronto, Ont.


METHODS
Purposive sample of 21 community family physicians (10 women and 11 men).


METHODS
Participants were invited to join focus groups of four to six physicians. Themes were derived from qualitative analysis of the data using grounded theory.


RESULTS
Three major themes were identified by these community-responsive physicians: they carry out specific roles (collaborator, health educator, advocate, resource, and tailor of care); they face several challenges, including lack of funding and a dysfunctional health care system; and they share common beliefs about practising medicine. Whether current health care structures support physicians to actually carry out these roles in practice, however, is unclear.


CONCLUSIONS
This study increased understanding of how primary care physicians respond to community needs and what they experience in the process.
Family Health Centre, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University Health Network-Toronto Western Hospital, ON.
Ivy
I
Oandasan
Rebecca
R
Malik
Ian
I
Waters
Anita
A
Lambert-Lanning
D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010819:Physician's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care