Current health policy initiatives and options. New-to-practice family physicians' attitudes.

OBJECTIVE

To obtain information about new-to-practice family physicians' attitudes toward current health policy options and initiatives.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, mailed survey.

SETTING

Ontario family practices.

PARTICIPANTS

Residency-trained Ontario family physicians (395 of 564 eligible physicians replied) who were certified between 1989 and 1991.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Extent of approval or disapproval for 14 health policy options and initiatives.

RESULTS

A 70% response rate was achieved. More than half of surveyed physicians expressed approval for shifting resources from acute care into preventive care and health promotion (71.6% approved), stricter immigration requirements to limit licensing of foreign physicians in Canada (60.4%), offering physicians salaries as an alternative to fee-for-service (54.0%), and incentives to physicians who wish to practise in community health centres or other forms of salaried group practice (51.1%). Some diversity of opinion was associated with sex, type of practice, primary source of remuneration, and practice location.

CONCLUSIONS

These new-to-practice family physicians display diverse views and should not be seen as sharing a single opinion of health care policy options and initiatives. Many approve of changes to the health care system or are willing to consider policy alternatives.