Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38637731›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2024

Factors associated with plans for early retirement among Ontario family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Rachel Walsh, Deanna Telner, Debra A Butt, Paul Krueger, Karen Fleming, Sarah MacDonald, Aakriti Pyakurel, Michelle Greiver, Liisa Jaakkimainen

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

Article in BMC primary care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Rachel WalshDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada. rachel.walsh@sunnybrook.ca.
Deanna TelnerDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Debra A ButtDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Paul KruegerDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Karen FlemingDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sarah MacDonaldWestern University, London, ON, Canada.
Aakriti PyakurelDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Michelle GreiverDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Liisa JaakkimainenDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
University of Toronto · CAHealth Sciences Centre · CASunnybrook Health Science Centre · CAThe Scarborough Hospital · CAWestern University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigher numbers of family physicians (FPs) stopped practicing or retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsening the family doctor shortage in Canada. Our study objective was to determine which factors were associated with FPs' plans to retire earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsWe administered two cross-sectional online surveys to Ontario FPs asking whether they were "planning to retire earlier" as a result of the pandemic during the first and third COVID-19 pandemic waves (Apr-Jun 2020 and Mar-Jul 2021). We used logistic regression to determine which factors were associated with early retirement planning, adjusting for age.

resultsThe age-adjusted proportion of FP respondents planning to retire earlier was 8.2% (of 393) in the first-wave and 20.5% (of 454) in the third-wave. Planning for earlier retirement during the third-wave was associated with age over 50 years (50-59 years odds ratio (OR) 5.37 (95% confidence interval (CI):2.33-12.31), 60 years and above OR 4.18 (95% CI: 1.90-10.23)), having difficulty handling increased non-clinical responsibilities (OR 2.95 (95% CI: 1.79-4.94)), feeling unsupported to work virtually (OR 1.96 (95% CI: 1.19-3.23)) or in-person (OR 2.70 (95% CI: 1.67-4.55)), feeling unable to provide good care (OR 1.82 (95% CI: 1.10-3.03)), feeling work was not valued (OR 1.92 (95% CI: 1.15-3.23)), feeling frightened of dealing with COVID-19 (OR 2.01 (95% CI: 1.19-3.38)), caring for an elderly relative (OR 2.36 (95% CI: 1.69-3.97)), having difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment (OR 2.00 (95% CI: 1.16-3.43)) or difficulty implementing infection control practices in clinic (OR 2.10 (95% CI: 1.12-3.89)).

conclusionsOver 20% of Ontario FP respondents were considering retiring earlier by the third-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting FPs in their clinical and non-clinical roles, such that they feel able to provide good care and that their work is valued, reducing non-clinical (e.g., administrative) responsibilities, dealing with pandemic-related fears, and supporting infection control practices and personal protective equipment acquisition in clinic, particularly in those aged 50 years or older may help increase family physician retention during future pandemics.

Indexed as

COVID-19RetirementAgedCross-Sectional StudiesHumansOntarioPandemicsPhysicians, FamilyCOVID-19Early RetirementFamily physiciansJob turnoverPandemic

Identifiers

PMID38637731
PMCPMC11025226
OpenAlexW4394931526

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.