The first doctor the 33-year-old approached made her fill out a detailed questionnaire on her medical condition, then rejected her application without any explanation. She soon discovered that all the other physicians accepting new patients in St. Catharines, Ont., had a similar screening process.More and more practitioners across Canada are conducting one-on-one interviews and handing out questionnaires to sift through the many applicants who want to be taken on as new patients.Amid accusations that overloaded physicians are cherry-picking only the healthiest of patients, Ontario’s medical regulator recently issued a draft policy that would restrict the screening process and recommend physicians take patients on a first-come, first-serve basis whenever possible. The province’s medical association has fired back, saying doctors are independent professionals who should be free to choose patients as they see fit.Allowing them that freedom is especially important at a time when it is already difficult to convince medical students to specialize in family medicine, said Dr. Janice Willett, president of the OMA.”There has to be that ability to have that introductory session, that discussion and turn down a patient if they do not seem appropriate,” she said.The popularity of screening is the latest symptom of Canada’s chronic shortage of doctors, which by one estimate has left four million patients without a family physician. Defenders of the process say screening simply ensures physicians and patients are compatible, while weeding out doctor-shopping drug abusers and other undesirables.Darlene Watters is not convinced. When the Wasaga Beach, Ont., woman needed to find a new family doctor a little over a year ago, a local hospital gave her a list of 12 physicians who were accepting new patients. Almost every one of them said they would have to conduct an interview first, something Ms. Watters refused to do.One receptionist even said the office would not accept patients over age 50.”I just don’t think it’s right,” Ms. Watters said. “They’re going to refuse you based on something — whether it’s being older or ill in some way or you’re on some medication.”In Ms. Evans’ case, the screening questionnaire asked for a medical history, including what drugs she was taking, current health problems and any past surgery done. She has a thyroid condition and a serious back injury, and is taking three prescription medicines. A receptionist at the doctor’s office said she would be called back in two weeks if she was accepted; Ms. Evans never heard a thing.”If what you put down doesn’t fit into the job description, they’re not going to take you. It’s the same thing now when you go apply for a doctor,” said Ms. Evans, a mother of three. “[But] this is not a job; this is health, and we should not be put in this position. I have health concerns that I need a family doctor for.”
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