As Ontarians prepare to head to the polls on Feb. 27, the province's doctor shortage is one of the most pressing issues of the campaign.
Each of the major party leaders has promised to solve the problem over the next four years — in their own way.
In the meantime, more and more Canadians who don't have a family physician are turning to the Internet for medical advice.
A recently released survey by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Abacus Data found that 37 per cent of respondents used medical advice they found online because they couldn’t access a doctor or a medical professional for help.
Even more concerning, 23 per cent of those surveyed said following health advice they found online resulted in a bad reaction or had a negative impact on their health.
Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the CMA, talked about the survey results during a recent appearance on our Inside the Village podcast.
“I can’t really think of any other generation that’s had this double whammy where they’re being bombarded with misinformation that’s being forced at them through algorithms on social media — whether they’re looking for it or not — and also having this lack of access to care," she said.
“If you can’t have a doctor that you can have that trusted relationship with and ask your health questions to, you’re going to go online," she continued. "We worry about what they find when they’re online. Do they know how to find good sources of information, and what do they do when they see information that may or may not be true? How do they evaluate that?”
You can watch the full episode HERE.
Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.
Every episode can be found HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.
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