Burnout among Canadian emergency-room physicians remains a significant concern, with nearly half of doctors reporting they have reduced their clinical hours and 10 percent leaving the specialty altogether, according to a study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The findings are based on a 2025 survey of 410 emergency medicine doctors across most provinces and the Northwest Territories.

The survey revealed that 48 percent of respondents had cut back on their emergency department hours, while 20 percent had taken time off from emergency medicine. Additionally, 65 percent scored highly on measures of emotional exhaustion or depersonalization, a psychological state characterized by feeling detached from one’s thoughts and body. The study found that women and younger physicians reported higher rates of burnout compared to their counterparts.

Researchers attributed these challenges to systemic issues within the Canadian health care system, along with societal expectations and demanding workplace conditions. Physician respondents described overwhelming patient volumes, long wait times, and the necessity of assessing patients in corridors and waiting rooms, often leading to substandard care. Limited access to primary care and specialist follow-up further complicated patient management, while many physicians reported minimal access to appropriate support services.

Kerstin de Wit, an emergency physician at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and co-author of the study, emphasized the broader context of the findings: “The health care system is broken.” She noted that emergency departments frequently bear the brunt of systemic inadequacies with fewer resources and little support. Many participants expressed pessimism about the future of emergency medicine, highlighting a sense of hopelessness and a lack of recovery prospects.

Physicians described experiencing demoralization due to being held responsible for systemic failures. There was widespread frustration aimed at hospital administrators, political leaders, and, at times, patients. The study highlighted a lack of accountability at various levels of health care institutions, contributing to workplace stress.

The findings mirror earlier reports from the Canadian Medical Association’s 2025 National Physician Health Survey, which indicated that many physicians across specialties continue to struggle with excessive workloads, exhaustion, and mental health issues in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ongoing distress has led some doctors to reduce their clinical hours or contemplate leaving practice altogether.

In an accompanying editorial, emergency physician and CMAJ deputy editor Catherine Varner warned about the risk of losing Canada’s investment in a specialized emergency medicine workforce developed over the past five decades. She noted that “collective distress and quiet attrition signals a serious threat” to the sustainability of emergency care.

To mitigate burnout, some physicians reported strategies such as reducing shift loads, transitioning to different professional roles, or changing health care organizations. Experts called for reforms at provincial, regional, and institutional levels to better support emergency physicians.

The issue of health care funding and capacity was also discussed at a recent First Ministers’ meeting in Charlottetown. Premiers expressed concern over the impending expiration of federal health funding agreements in March 2027 and the possibility of a resulting “fiscal cliff.” They tasked health and finance ministers with addressing long-term funding and productivity challenges in the health care sector.