June 2021 Editorial in Canadian Family Physician

2021-06-17

An editorial by Associate Editor Dr. Roger Ladouceur in the June issue of Canadian Family Physician entitled “Family Medicine is Not a Business” has provoked a strong reaction from many readers of the journal and members of the College. Most of the reaction to date has been critical in tone ranging from anger to disappointment to hurt, but some responses have also been supportive of this editorial (https://www.cfp.ca/eletters).

Canadian Family Physician regrets the negative reaction that the editorial has caused. We recognize that given the hardships that Canadian family physicians have faced in the past fifteen months of the Covid-19 pandemic, including many different financial hardships, an editorial that is critical of a minority of professional behaviors at this difficult time can be controversial.

The reaction to the editorial is a timely opportunity to remind readers that while CFP is the official journal of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the journal maintains editorial independence from the College and the opinions expressed by contributors to the journal, including its editors, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, but those of the author(s).

Canadian Family Physician strives to be a place where controversial and difficult issues in family medicine can be explored in a meaningful way and editorial independence allows for such exploration.

Readers are strongly encouraged to respond to content of the journal whether they agree or disagree with it via Rapid Responses on the journal website at the following link: https://www.cfp.ca/feedback. Canadian Family Physician publishes the most relevant responses (both negative and positive) to content as Letters to the Editor in subsequent print editions of the journal.

In addition, we hope to increase opportunities for meaningful dialogue about controversial topics through CFP series such as The Third Rail (https://www.cfp.ca/content/66/6/389).

Nick Pimlott, MD, CCFP, FCFP
Scientific Editor
Canadian Family Physician