Characteristics of Walk-In Clinic Physicians and Patients in Ontario, Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Objective We aimed to describe family physicians who primarily practice in a walk-in clinic setting and compare them to family physicians who provide longitudinal care. Design A cross-sectional study that linked results from an annual physician survey (2019) to administrative healthcare data from Ontario, Canada. We compared the characteristics, practice patterns, and patients of physicians primarily working in a walk-in clinic setting, with family physicians providing longitudinal care. Setting Ontario, Canada. Participants Physicians who primarily worked in a walk-in clinic setting in 2019, as indicated by an annual physician survey. Exposure Whether the physician was a walk-in clinic physician or a family physician who provided longitudinal care. Main Measures Physician demographic and practice characteristics, as well as their patients’ demographic and healthcare utilization characteristics. Results Compared to the 9,137 family physicians practicing longitudinal care, the 597 physicians who self-identified as practicing primarily in walk-in clinics were more frequently male (67% vs. 49%) and could speak a language other than English or French (43% vs. 32%). Walk-in clinic physicians had more encounters with patients who were younger ( M 37 vs. 47 years), had lower levels of prior healthcare utilization (15% vs. 19% in highest band), who resided in large urban areas (87% vs. 77%), and in highly ethnically diverse neighborhoods (45% vs. 35%). Walk-in clinic physicians had more encounters with unattached patients (32% vs. 17%) and with patients attached to another physician outside their group (54% vs. 18%). Conclusion Physicians who primarily work in walk-in clinics saw many patients from historically underserved groups, and many patients who were attached to another family physician.