Table 1.
Characteristics of patients attached to near-retirement comprehensive family physicians over time, by near-retirement group
| Patient characteristics | Age 55+ comprehensive FPs | Age 65+ comprehensive FPs | Age 70+ comprehensive FPs | ||||
| N | % | N | % | N | % | ||
| Overall (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 3 571 661 | 37.5 | 690 642 | 7.2 | 214 861 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 4 676 625 | 45.0 | 1 399 119 | 13.5 | 419 172 | 4.0 | |
| 2019 | 4 935 992 | 43.0 | 1 695 126 | 14.8 | 666 404 | 5.8 | |
| Aged 65+ (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 597 707 | 16.7 | 136 394 | 19.8 | 45 414 | 21.1 |
| 2013 | 846 974 | 18.1 | 298 545 | 21.3 | 95 833 | 22.8 | |
| 2019 | 1 003 769 | 20.3 | 402 430 | 23.7 | 176 473 | 26.5 | |
| Female patients (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 1 804 585 | 50.5 | 338 656 | 49.0 | 103 386 | 48.1 |
| 2013 | 2 371 923 | 50.7 | 678 971 | 48.5 | 201 104 | 48.0 | |
| 2019 | 2 498 453 | 50.6 | 823 090 | 48.6 | 317 967 | 47.7 | |
| Rural patients (RIO score 40+) (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 233 045 | 6.5 | 48 860 | 7.1 | 14 323 | 6.7 |
| 2013 | 292 357 | 6.3 | 88 311 | 6.3 | 20 294 | 4.8 | |
| 2019 | 274 099 | 5.6 | 83 691 | 4.9 | 33 545 | 5.0 | |
| Highest (4+) RUB (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 677 436 | 19.0 | 137 995 | 20.0 | 44 067 | 20.5 |
| 2013 | 878 340 | 18.8 | 283 013 | 20.2 | 88 182 | 21.0 | |
| 2019 | 983 818 | 19.9 | 350 439 | 20.7 | 146 298 | 22.0 | |
| Highest (5+) annual core primary care visits (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 2 109 950 | 59.1 | 403 026 | 58.4 | 127 050 | 59.1 |
| 2013 | 2 462 236 | 52.7 | 753 388 | 53.9 | 227 090 | 54.2 | |
| 2019 | 2 480 395 | 50.3 | 876 487 | 51.7 | 346 668 | 52.0 | |
| COPD (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 233 498 | 6.5 | 51 856 | 7.5 | 16 411 | 7.6 |
| 2013 | 326 748 | 7.0 | 115 669 | 8.3 | 37 477 | 8.9 | |
| 2019 | 337 202 | 6.8 | 132 395 | 7.8 | 59 350 | 8.9 | |
| CHF (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 69 573 | 2.0 | 15 645 | 2.3 | 4952 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 80 026 | 1.7 | 28 187 | 2.0 | 9214 | 2.2 | |
| 2019 | 90 436 | 1.8 | 35 567 | 2.1 | 15 832 | 2.4 | |
| Diabetes (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 327 127 | 9.2 | 68 392 | 9.9 | 21 389 | 10.0 |
| 2013 | 506 014 | 10.8 | 170 115 | 12.2 | 52 815 | 12.5 | |
| 2019 | 555 358 | 11.3 | 215 696 | 12.7 | 92 395 | 13.9 | |
| Frailty (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 66 559 | 1.9 | 14 875 | 2.2 | 4964 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 98 490 | 2.1 | 33 005 | 2.4 | 10 794 | 2.6 | |
| 2019 | 114 085 | 2.3 | 43 032 | 2.5 | 18 597 | 2.8 | |
| Any mental health illness in last 2 years (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 825 520 | 23.1 | 166 257 | 24.1 | 51 802 | 24.1 |
| 2013 | 979 987 | 21.0 | 311 771 | 22.3 | 96 543 | 23.0 | |
| 2019 | 1 022 523 | 20.7 | 355 911 | 21.0 | 150 153 | 22.5 | |
| Lowest income quintile (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 706 504 | 19.8 | 150 381 | 21.8 | 48 403 | 22.5 |
| 2013 | 876 982 | 18.8 | 282 922 | 20.2 | 91 236 | 21.8 | |
| 2019 | 944 888 | 19.1 | 348 869 | 20.6 | 142 881 | 21.4 | |
| Highest housing instability quintile (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 761 397 | 21.3 | 165 525 | 24.0 | 54 275 | 25.6 |
| 2013 | 934 472 | 20.0 | 295 059 | 21.1 | 92 653 | 22.2 | |
| 2019 | 1 031 506 | 20.9 | 374 322 | 22.1 | 155 859 | 23.4 | |
| Highest material deprivation quintile (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 736 903 | 20.6 | 163 835 | 23.7 | 52 733 | 24.9 |
| 2013 | 1 045 136 | 22.4 | 338 012 | 24.2 | 112 097 | 26.9 | |
| 2019 | 926 043 | 18.8 | 352 849 | 20.8 | 145 084 | 21.8 | |
| Highest neighbourhood ethnic concentration quintile (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 962 252 | 26.9 | 177 586 | 25.7 | 63 167 | 29.8 |
| 2013 | 1 335 124 | 28.6 | 397 430 | 28.4 | 124 062 | 29.8 | |
| 2019 | 1 521 975 | 30.8 | 584 512 | 34.5 | 213 182 | 32.0 | |
| Recent immigrant (N, % of patients attached to near-retirement physician group) | 2008 | 269 131 | 7.5 | 52 717 | 7.6 | 21 202 | 10.9 |
| 2013 | 289 772 | 6.2 | 83 484 | 6.0 | 27 024 | 7.0 | |
| 2019 | 277 755 | 5.6 | 82 560 | 4.9 | 28 449 | 4.3 | |
Interpretation of table 1 rows:
Interpretation of the ‘Overall’ category: For example, in 2019, 1 695 126 patients were attached to a comprehensive FP aged 65+. This represents 14.8% of all patients who are attached to a comprehensive FP.
Interpretation of each patient category: For example, in 2019, of the 6 66 404 patients attached to comprehensive FPs over the age of 70 years, 28 449 (4.3%) were recent immigrants.
CHF, congestive heart failure; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FPs, family physicians; RIO, Rurality Index of Ontario; RUB, morbidity, based on resource usage band.