Why is it so hard to see a dermatologist in Quebec?
CBC
Nearly 100,000 Quebecers are waiting for a dermatology consultation, the longest wait-list of any medical specialty.
According to the Health Ministry, 93,000 consultation requests were made for dermatology between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. The average wait time for these patients was 198 days, with a median of 81 days.
On social media community discussion groups, it's not uncommon to see people asking for help in finding a dermatologist, with most turning to the private sector if they want to be seen quickly.
"We're definitely headed in the wrong direction and it's going to get worse", said Dr. Ivan Litvinov, director of dermatology at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
About 200 dermatologists work in the public system, which he says is not enough for a population of nearly nine million that is welcoming tens of thousands of newcomers each year.
The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the backlog of patients, said Litvinov, but a number of other factors are also at play.
Part of it is due to a growing preference for a better work/life balance from doctors. Gone are the days where doctors would work 12-hour days and see a high volume of patients, said Litvinov.
There are also more women working in the profession with young children.
"They want to go pick up their kids at daycare,' he said. "They don't need to make as much money as before."
Pay is another challenge.
Even if a specialist wanted to have more of a medical dermatology practice, it's not practical because consultation fees have remained stagnant for the past 10 years, said Litvinov.
Many dermatologists work in clinics and pay for office space, nurses, support staff and other overhead, which is all getting more expensive. It's leading some to take on a larger share of more lucrative cosmetic work — leaving less space for medical consultations.
Those procedures could include botox, fillers, laser treatments and removing unwanted moles.
Trying to find solutions will be a major challenge.
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