Recruiting Needs

Even if there doesn't appear to be a current pressing need to recruit physicians in your community, it is important to regularly monitor the situation and identify trends so that your division and community is in a state of readiness.

If your community is in crisis (immediate need to recruit physicians) it’s equally important to look at the future needs to help prevent a future crisis and to be ready for what may happen going forward.

The following tips can help you identify your community’s current and future needs for physicians.

To select or develop tools and methods to identify the need for physicians

Make sure the tools and methods are appropriate and practical. Tools include:

  • Physician Survey.
  • Practice Assessment.
  • Physician Impact Analysis.
  • Focus Groups.
  • Key Informant Interviews.
  • Community Dialogues and workshops.
  • Community Survey.

To identify practice and medical community requirements

Become familiar with the physician and medical community – current and future state:

  • Practices/clinics: type, capacity, physicians (group/network, solo, sub-specialty), staffing support, specialized services.
  • What are the current and future needs? Where are the gaps?
  • List current and future aspects of working in the community to support GPs in practice including:
    • Hospital and other medical facilities, team based care, patient medical home/primary care home, health agencies, access to specialists, collegiality, remuneration, practice coverage, opportunity to add value.
    • Regional health authority support and services.
    • What are the current and future needs? Where are the gaps?
    • Confirm academic opportunities for GPs (e.g. teaching, research, medical administration).
    • Prioritize the needs

To identify community requirements

  • Create a community inventory (for living, working, and playing) including:
    • Demographics (population statistics and trends, current retirement trend, etc.).
    • Amenities (housing, libraries, schools, security, etc.).
    • Lifestyle opportunities for spouse and family (recreation, tourism, cultural).
    • Employment and educational opportunities for spouse and family members.
    • Division of Family Practice leadership and committee work.
    • Geographic location.
    • What are the needs? What are the gaps now and in the future?