Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul 26;26(8):451-455.
doi: 10.1093/pch/pxab043. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Supporting consulting paediatrics in rural, remote, or vulnerable communities in British Columbia: Time for national collaboration

Kirsten Miller  1   2   3 , Alexander Benny  2 , Jennifer Retallack  3
Affiliations

Supporting consulting paediatrics in rural, remote, or vulnerable communities in British Columbia: Time for national collaboration

Kirsten Miller et al. Paediatr Child Health. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Rural consultant paediatricians in Canada are in short supply. Rural communities across the country could benefit from the implementation of strategies to ensure access to consistent, local consultant paediatric care. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural paediatricians face unique challenges, including significant call requirements, potential risk of burnout and difficulty in recruitment. In response to these challenges, a number of strategies to bolster the provision of paediatric care to rural, remote, and underserved communities have evolved in British Columbia, including virtual support, the development of a rural paediatric network, and new training opportunities. It is time for discussions about the vulnerability of consulting paediatric care in rural or underserved communities to occur at the national level. National engagement will foster collaboration, drive research, and facilitate workforce planning, with the goal of ensuring that all Canadian communities have access to consulting paediatric care.

Keywords: Burnout; Paediatric; Recruitment; Rural; Virtual; Workforce.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
BC Pediatric Society Survey, planned years to retirement by community size.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
BC Pediatric Society Survey, reported time spent on call by community size.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Malko AV, Huckfeldt V. Physician shortage in Canada: A review of contributing factors. Glob J Health Sci 2017;9(9):68.
    1. Hameed T, Lawrence S. The training paths and practice patterns of Canadian paediatric residency graduates, 2004-2010. Paediatr Child Health 2016;21(3):123–6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Environmental Reporting BC: Sustainability. <http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/soe/indicators/sustainability/bc-population.html> (Accessed January 30, 2021).
    1. Kornelsen J, Carthew C. Community-level strategies for recruiting and retaining health care providers to rural and remote areas: A scoping review. Rural Evidence Review. <https://med-fom-crhr.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2019/09/Rural-Evidence-Revie...> (Accessed December, 2018).
    1. Is ‘Good’, Good Enough? The Health & Well-being of Children & Youth in B.C. Office of the Provincial Health Officer and Child Health BC, 2016. <https://www.childhealthindicatorsbc.ca/> (Accessed February 9, 2021).