title: Examining the geographic distribution of French-speaking physicians in Ontario.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine how many physicians in Ontario express a proficiency in providing services in the French language, and to assess the geographic distribution of such physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based analysis of the 2007 College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Annual Membership Renewal Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ontario.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 688 GPs, FPs, and other specialists certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada who responded to the survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  First official language spoken and languages of competency to conduct practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The physician-to-patient ratio by first official language spoken is 1 physician per 138 Francophone patients in Ontario. There is 1 French-speaking GP or FP for every 297 Francophone patients, and most French-speaking physicians are located in southern Ontario (91.4%), at a ratio of 1 physician per 111 Francophone patients. The most promising French-speaking physician-to-Francophone patient ratios are found in southern Ontario (1:248 for GPs and FPs, and 1:202 for other specialists) and in urban Ontario (1:266 for GPs and FPs, and 1:209 for other specialists).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clearly, there is a promising number of physicians, relative to the amount of French-speaking residents in Ontario, who identified a competency in offering services in French. However, while the number of physicians who indicated a self-assessed competency to deliver health services in French is promising, it is the maldistribution of such services that is of concern. Thus, efforts must be made to attract French-speaking physicians to areas where there is the greatest demand, particularly in the northern part of the province.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6. agauthier@laurentian.ca
authors.forename: Alain P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: Patrick E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Timony
authors.forename: Elizabeth F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wenghofer
mesh_terms: D054521:Cultural Competency; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D019303:Multilingualism; D009864:Ontario; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution