To stay or leave: an integrative review of factors, personas, and recommendations for retaining family physicians in Canada

TL;DR

This paper reviews factors affecting family physician retention in Canada and offers recommendations to improve retention, especially in underserved areas.

Contribution

The paper introduces seven physician personas and evidence-based recommendations for improving family physician retention in Canada.

Findings

Structural and professional barriers like licensure restrictions and administrative burden are major retention challenges.

Strong community ties and team-based practice environments are key facilitators for retention.

Seven physician personas were developed to illustrate diverse retention experiences.

Abstract

Family physicians are the cornerstone of primary health care in Canada. Yet, retention remains a growing concern. Challenges in retaining family physicians poses serious implications for healthcare accessibility, continuity, and equity across all practice contexts in Canada, including (but not limited to) rural, remote, urban, and underserved communities. Currently, 25% of Canadians do not have a primary care provider. While much attention has been given to recruitment, less is known about the multifaceted and intersecting factors that influence whether practicing family physicians and family medicine trainees (including Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) and International Medical Graduates (IMGs)), remain in sustained comprehensive practice in Canada. This review synthesizes the literature to identify key drivers of family physician retention and offers evidence-based recommendations.

We conducted an integrative review of peer-reviewed literature published between January 1, 2000, and March 30, 2025, following Whittemore and Knafl’s five-stage methodology. A systematic search was carried out across five electronic databases. Included studies were assessed for quality and thematically analyzed using a five-domain coding framework: personal, family, community, professional, and structural/systemic. Composite personas were developed to illustrate recurring physician retention trajectories and evidence-based recommendations were thematized across our five-domain coding framework.

Of the 1,613 records screened, 23 studies met inclusion criteria. Factors influencing retention were identified across all five domains. Structural and professional barriers, including licensure restrictions, administrative burden, and limited autonomy, emerged as the most consistent deterrents. Facilitators included strong community ties, spousal support, team-based practice environments, and access to continuing professional development. We identified and developed seven physician personas to create a portrait of the diverse experiences of family physicians in Canada. Key recommendations included reforming licensure and payment models, enhancing mentorship and CME access, supporting spousal integration, and fostering culturally safe, community-rooted team-based practice models.

Retaining family physicians in Canada is a relational challenge that requires collaborative, multi-level change. Tailored, context-specific retention strategies co-designed with physicians and communities can enhance sustainability and health equity especially in rural, remote and underserved communities.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-025-03128-x.

Figures