| Metropolis Conference 2024 McMaster University | Conference | 2024-03-15 | Sweetman, A. |
| CAHSPR Pre-Conference workshop McMaster University | Conference | 2025-05-26 | Sweetman, A. |
| CanSPARK LTC Research Network McMaster University | Conference | 2025-01-10 | Sweetman, A. |
| Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC) Research Roundtable McMaster University | Conference | 2025-11-17 | Sweetman, A. |
| Health Workforce Canada - Strategic Data McMaster University | Event | 2025-12-10 | Sweetman, A. |
| CCSBE Conference 2025 Memorial University | Conference | 2025-11-28 | Fang, T., Huju Liu, Zohreh H Chavoushi |
| Family physician pay inequality: a qualitative study exploring how physician responses to perceived patient expectations may explain gender, race, and immigration status pay differencesCIHR, not BD, funded. McMaster University | Publication | 2025-12-10 | Dutt, Monika, Katrina Shen, Gwen Feeny, Danielle O’Toole, Boris Kralj, Sweetman, A., Andrea Carruthers, Meredith Vanstone |
| Impacts of COVID-19 on Physician Labour Market ActivitiesLe fait de comprendre les changements à la main-d’œuvre en médecine pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 éclaire la planification des effectifs médicaux. À l'aide de données représentatives canadiennes, les auteurs ont observé une réduction des heures de travail pendant la première vague. Toutefois, les heures n’étaient pas différentes des normes prépandémiques lors des vagues subséquentes. Les réductions étaient concentrées chez les médecins de famille communautaires et les spécialistes, tandis qu'en moyenne, les médecins hospitaliers ont maintenu leurs heures prépandémiques. Notamment, les hommes et les femmes ont présenté des diminutions indifférenciables sur le plan statistique, mais légèrement plus marquées chez les hommes. Sauf chez les parents monoparentaux ayant des enfants, dont les heures n'ont pas diminué, les réductions observées étaient très semblables, compte tenu de la situation conjugale et chez les femmes et les hommes ayant ou non des enfants, même si ceux-ci étaient très jeunes. La situation d'immigration n'avait pas d'incidence sur la diminution des heures. Les médecins de plus de 60 ans ont réduit leurs heures davantage que les plus jeunes. Sous réserve de certaines variations, des tendances semblables ont été observées à l’égard des absences. Aucune donnée probante n'a soutenu la susceptibilité des médecins à arrêter d'exercer pendant la pandémie. McMaster University | Publication | 2024-05-22 | Md Rabiul Islam, Sweetman, A. |
| Long-term trends in the labour supply and productivity of pharmacists in CanadaBackground: The pharmacist labour supply affects patient access to pharmacotherapy, immunization, and other primary health care services. There is little published evidence on the pharmacist labour supply in Canada, yet these data are needed for pharmacist workforce planning. We evaluated long-term trends in the number of pharmacists in Canada, their average hours worked, and how demographic and other factors affect hours worked. We also examined trends in community pharmacist productivity. Methods: Data on the number of licensed pharmacists were obtained from pharmacist regulatory agencies. Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey identified pharmacists’ hours worked per week to be between 1987 and 2023. Regression models were used to estimate the impact of pharmacist demographic characteristics, worksite type, region of residence, and secular trends on hours worked. IQVIA data on community pharmacist prescription dispensing were used to examine productivity. Results: The number of pharmacists relative to population doubled over the past 4 decades. This growth was partly offset by reductions in average hours worked per week. This appears to be driven by increases in the female share of the pharmacist workforce and the declining number of hours that male pharmacists work. On net, however, the total number of weekly hours worked—the average weekly hours worked per pharmacist times the number of pharmacists—has increased in both absolute and per capita terms. This expansion in the pharmacist labour supply was reinforced by an increase in pharmacist productivity, at least in the community pharmacy sector. Interpretation: The pharmacist labour supply in Canada has expanded markedly over the past 4 decades; this has occurred despite a decline in the average weekly hours worked by male pharmacists. It is unclear, however, whether this increase is commensurate with the increased responsibilities and workloads being placed on pharmacists. Province-level data on the forecasted demand for pharmacist services and the pharmacist personnel needed to provide these services are required for pharmacist workforce planning. McMaster University | Publication | 2025-06-11 | Paul Grootendorst, Boris Kralj, Sweetman, A. |
Long-term trends in the work hours of physicians in CanadaBackground: Physician work hours directly influence patient access to health care services and play a vital role in physician human resource planning. We sought to evaluate long-term trends in hours worked by physicians in Canada, overall and by subgroup. Methods: We used Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey to identify physicians via occupation and industry coding information. We estimated descriptive statistics and performed graphical analysis of the average weekly hours worked by physicians over the 1987–2021 period. Results: Overall, weekly physician work hours remained stable from 1987 until 1997, after which they declined. Average weekly hours decreased by 6.9 hours (p < 0.001), from 52.8 in 1987–1991 to 45.9 in 2017–2021. Among male physicians, work hours declined notably after 1997, while those of female physicians remained relatively stable at around 45 per week. Hours worked by married physicians declined significantly, amounting to 7.4 fewer hours per week (p = 0.001). In contrast, unmarried physicians displayed a statistically insignificant decline of 2.2 hours (p = 0.3). The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a sharp but brief disruption in weekly hours; by the end of 2020, physicians' work hours had returned to prepandemic levels. Interpretation: These findings may indicate a long-term shift in work preferences among Canadian physicians; male physicians may be seeking a better work–life balance, which, in turn, has narrowed the gap in hours worked by sex, with potential implications for pay equity. Policymakers and planners should carefully consider changes in hours worked, rather than just the total number of physicians, to ensure an accurate evaluation of the physician workforce. McMaster University | Publication | 2024-03-24 | Boris Kralj, Md Rabiul Islam, Sweetman, A. |
| Multiple jobholding and part-time work among nurses in long-term care homes compared to other healthcare sectors: Evidence from OntarioNot BD funded McMaster University | Publication | 2023-04-01 | Sweetman, A., Drost, Alyssa, M Injamam Alam, Sheila Boamah, Boris Kralj, Andrew Costa |
| Standardizing Health Workforce Data in Canada: Legal and Regulatory Levers for Harmonized Collection and SharingCIHR, not BD, funded. McMaster University | Publication | 2025-12-10 | Lyn, Alexandra, Geetanjali Sharma, Kathleen Leslie, Sarah Lazin, Gwen Feeny, Sweetman, A., Ivy Bourgeault |
| The Trajectory of Agency-Employed Nurses in Ontario, Canada: A Longitudinal Analysis (2011–2021)In Canada, reports of nursing staff shortages, job vacancies and the use of private agency nurses, especially in hospitals, have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Media reports suggest the pandemic exacerbated nursing shortages among other issues, and nurses are leaving their traditional positions to work at such agencies. Public spending on agency nurses has increased appreciably. Using 2011 to 2021 regulatory college data on all registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) in the province of Ontario, Canada, we investigated trends in the count and share of nurses working for employment agencies. We also examined the rate at which previously non-agency employed nurses transition to employment in at least one agency job. We found the prevalence of RNs and RPNs reporting agency employment was relatively stable from 2011 to 2019, and decreased slightly in 2020 and 2021. However, there was a small increase in transitions from non-agency employment to working at an agency job. We also found the mean hours of practice in all jobs reported by agency and non-agency nurses increased during the pandemic. Based on these findings, an increase in hours and/or prices for agency nurses may explain the increase in public funding for agency nurses, but it was not driven by an increasing share of nurses working for employment agencies. To fully understand employment agency activity, policymakers may need to monitor hours of work and hourly costs rather than only costs. Further research is required to investigate any long-term effects the pandemic may have had on agency-employment. McMaster University | Publication | 2024-04-01 | Alyssa Drost, Houssem Eddine Ben-Ahmed, Sweetman, A. |
| Spring Retreat | Event | 2026-04-01 | Toronto Metropolitan University TMU |
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