Doctors with disabilities need more support, study says

New research based on the 2021 long-form census says more support is needed for doctors in Canada who have disabilities. According to the study, five per cent of practising doctors report having a disability "always or often," and 12 per cent report one "sometimes." Dr. Michael Quon of The Ottawa Hospital, who was injured in a cycling accident at the end of his residency, describes a lack of hospital policies for accommodating physicians with disabilities. Experts quoted in the report say there is a gap in support and that more awareness is needed.

• Study uses 2021 long-form census data on Canadian doctors
• 5% of practising doctors report a disability always or often; 12% sometimes
• Dr. Michael Quon describes a lack of hospital policies for physicians with disabilities
• Physicians working as independent contractors were not covered by employee policies

New research says more needs to be done to help doctors in Canada who have disabilities. The study is based on data from the 2021 long-form census and shows five per cent of practicing doctors report having a disability “always or often,” while 12 per cent report a disability “sometimes.” Dr. Michael Quon from The Ottawa Hospital suffered a traumatic brain injury from a cycling accident at the end of his residency. “Early on I had a lot of limitations in terms of like clinical work that I could do well and without symptoms. And what I found was there was really like a void, so there was no hospital policies in terms of accommodating physicians with disabilities.” Quon said. "Physicians are typically independent contractors working in hospitals, and they weren't protected by the same policies that employees were, so that right there is a major national policy gap." He added. As health reporter Katherine Ward explains, experts say there is a gap in providing proper support, and more awareness is needed across the board. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on TikTok HERE: https://www.tiktok.com/@globalnews.ca?lang=en #GlobalNews