Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38439084›Full record

ArticleHuman resources for health2024

"Family doctors are also people": a qualitative analysis of how family physicians managed competing personal and professional responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarah Spencer, Julia Lukewich, Emily Gard Marshall, Maria Mathews, Shabnam Asghari, Judith B Brown, Thomas R Freeman, Paul Gill, Samina Idrees, Rita K McCracken and 10 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Human resources for health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pandemic preparedness lessons for family physicians and other primary care providers.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Sarah SpencerFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Julia LukewichFaculty of Nursing, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
Emily Gard MarshallPrimary Care Research Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1465 Brenton Street, Halifax, NS, B3J 3T4, Canada.
Maria MathewsDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Shabnam AsghariFamily Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
Judith B BrownDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Thomas R FreemanDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Paul GillDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Samina IdreesDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Rita K McCrackenDepartment of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 5950 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Sudit RanadeDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Steve SladeThe College of Family Physicians of Canada, 2630 Skymark Avenue, Mississauga, ON, L4W 5A4, Canada.
Amanda L TerryDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Jamie WickettDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Eric WongDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Richard BuotePrimary Care Research Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1465 Brenton Street, Halifax, NS, B3J 3T4, Canada.
Leslie MeredithDepartment of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
Lauren MoritzPrimary Care Research Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1465 Brenton Street, Halifax, NS, B3J 3T4, Canada.
Dana RyanFaculty of Nursing, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
Lindsay HeddenFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada. lindsay_hedden@sfu.ca.ORCID 0000-0001-9552-1324
Western University · CADalhousie University · CAMemorial University of Newfoundland · CASimon Fraser University · CACollege of Family Physicians of Canada · CAUniversity of British Columbia · CA

Funding

CIHR VR41 72756
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFamily physicians (FPs) fill an essential role in public health emergencies yet have frequently been neglected in pandemic response plans. This exclusion harms FPs in their clinical roles and has unintended consequences in the management of concurrent personal responsibilities, many of which were amplified by the pandemic. The objective of our study was to explore the experiences of FPs during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic to better understand how they managed their competing professional and personal priorities.

methodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with FPs from four Canadian regions between October 2020 and June 2021. Employing a maximum variation sampling approach, we recruited participants until we achieved saturation. Interviews explored FPs' personal and professional roles and responsibilities during the pandemic, the facilitators and barriers that they encountered, and any gender-related experiences. Transcribed interviews were thematically analysed.

resultsWe interviewed 68 FPs during the pandemic and identified four overarching themes in participants' discussion of their personal experiences: personal caregiving responsibilities, COVID-19 risk navigation to protect family members, personal health concerns, and available and desired personal supports for FPs to manage their competing responsibilities. While FPs expressed a variety of ways in which their personal experiences made their professional responsibilities more complicated, rarely did that affect the extent to which they participated in the pandemic response.

conclusionsFor FPs to contribute fully to a pandemic response, they must be factored into pandemic plans. Failure to appreciate their unique role and circumstances often leaves FPs feeling unsupported in both their professional and personal lives. Comprehensive planning in anticipation of future pandemics must consider FPs' varied responsibilities, health concerns, and necessary precautions. Having adequate personal and practice supports in place will facilitate the essential role of FPs in responding to a pandemic crisis while continuing to support their patients' primary care needs.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsCanadaHumansInterpersonal RelationsPhysicians, FamilyCOVID-19Family physiciansPandemicPersonal responsibilitiesPrimary careProfessional responsibilities

Identifiers

PMID38439084
PMCPMC10913223
OpenAlexW4392380545

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.