Female family doctors in Ontario spend more time with patients, make less money: study

A doctor wears a lab coat and stethoscope in an exam room at a health clinic in Calgary, Friday, July 14, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

TORONTO — A new study says female family doctors in Ontario spend more time with patients than their male colleagues and in many cases earn less money as a result.

The research, published in the Canadian Family Physician journal Wednesday, says female family doctors spend 15 to 20 per cent more time with patients than men in their profession, based on self-reported survey results of over 1,050 physicians between August and October 2023.

That’s about four minutes longer per patient for the most common type of examination.

The study says this amounts to a gender pay gap — an estimated $45,500 difference in annual income.

To close the gap, female family physicians would need to work roughly two additional hours per day, the authors said.

Researchers at the Ontario Medical Association and McMaster University probed whether a fee-for-service system, in which payments are based on the type and volume of services provided, puts doctors who spend more time with patients at a disadvantage.

Ontario Medical Association president Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman said the issue with the current system is it rewards volume and leads to less time spent with patients.

“We shouldn’t be penalizing doctors for doing what patients in the system really need,” said Abdurrahman.

Dr. Kim Lazar, a family physician at North York General Hospital, said she frequently blocks off half-hour appointments, rather than a more standard 15 minutes, to address her patients’ complex needs.

“Obviously patients who have complex health needs and mental-health concerns, which leads to longer visits and more frequent visits, would prefer that type of care,” Lazar said.

That’s been her own experience, as many of her patients struggle with eating disorders and depression, she said.

“We need to celebrate the fact that female family physicians do provide more patient-centric care and not penalize female family positions for this,” Lazar said.

Research published in 2016 showed the outcomes of patients who see female physicians are more likely to have fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations. The findings were based on a cross-sectional analysis in Ontario.

“Additional time spent on services may be explained by gendered communication patterns,” the study says. “Research has noted that female physicians tend to hold longer discussions and adopt a more empathetic, partnership-building approach to care.”

The fee-for-service model is just one of several compensation structures for family doctors in Ontario. An updated compensation model, which will be an option beginning in April, will allow family physicians to bill for time spent on direct and indirect patient care and clinical administration.

Abdurrahman said these blended pay models are a pathway to removing structural disadvantages for doctors who practice in a more patient-centric way.

“In this climate where misinformation is increasing at an alarming rate, you need to be able to have those kinds of relationships,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2026.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press