Health Authority Engagement Surveys

Help drive the change you want to see

The results of our annual Health Authority Engagement Surveys provide a snapshot of how members are feeling about engagement with their health authority and/or local hospital.

This feedback is crucial in helping Doctors of BC build and focus programs and policies to support physician work taking place with their health authorities, and better enables Doctors of BC to advocate for physicians and drive the positive changes you seek.

2022 Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey

Last September, Doctors of BC conducted its seventh annual Health Authority Engagement Survey, which measures BC physicians’ level of engagement with their respective health authority. The results are now available and provide detailed information about the findings.  This survey is a vital tool to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts in BC healthcare.

For consistency, the same nine core questions are asked on an annual basis. The key findings from 2022 note that while physicians are working hard, they are doing so while experiencing high levels of stress, stemming from multiple health care emergencies, and an under-resourced health care system, among other pressures. Provincially, and in most regions, there are areas of opportunity for physicians to feel safe at work, as well as opportunities to increase communication and engagement levels between our members and their health authorities. These survey results will be used to inform improvements in the workplace for all in BC’s healthcare system. 

Doctors of BC will be reaching out to all health authorities to present these survey results, and we look forward to working together to support areas of opportunity that have been highlighted– specifically improving how health and safety incidents are handled, increasing resources available to doctors, including physician voices in planning, and acknowledging the difficulties faced by physicians. We will continue to use the findings from this annual survey to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts among physician members, health authorities, the Ministry of Health, and other health-sector stakeholders.

A Supplemental Report that includes a detailed breakdown of the questions regarding facilities, divisions, and medical leadership is also available, as well as a What We Heard Report, which provides a brief overview of the survey findings. If you have questions about the survey results, or would like to request a presentation, please contact

Survey report
Summary fact sheet of the key findings
Supplemental report


2021 Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey

In September of 2021, Doctors of BC conducted its sixth annual Health Authority Engagement Survey, which measures BC physicians’ level of engagement with their respective health authority. This survey is a vital tool to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts in BC healthcare.

For consistency, the same benchmark engagement questions asked on an annual basis. Overall, physicians are feeling less satisfied with their health authority as a place to practice medicine, and have concerns regarding access to resources, and workplace safety. The results show several questions regarding senior leadership remained stable in 2021. This year, it was noted that trust in local leadership is greater than at the health authority level. While challenges remain, and fundamental systemic change will take time, these results will be harnessed to help improve the workplace for all in BC’s healthcare system. 

Doctors of BC will be reaching out to all health authorities and looks forward to working together to support areas of opportunity highlighted by the survey results – specifically transparency and the promotion safe, healthy and engaged workplaces across the province. We will continue to use the findings from this annual survey to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts among physician members, health authorities, the Ministry of Health, and other health-sector stakeholders.

Doctors of BC looks forward to using the findings of the report to continue developing strategies that help foster collaboration among physicians, health authorities, the Ministry of Health, and other health-sector stakeholders.

Survey report
Summary fact sheet of the key findings
Supplemental report


2020 Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey

Last fall, Doctors of BC conducted its fifth annual Health Authority Engagement Survey, which measures BC physicians’ level of engagement with their respective health authority. This survey is a vital tool to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts in BC healthcare.

For consistency, the same nine core questions are asked on an annual basis. This year, COVID-19 questions were also included. The key findings note meaningful improvements in many areas in comparison to previous years. Provincially and in most regions, positive scores have increased across all nine core questions, specifically in areas of overall satisfaction, feeling of belonging, and having opportunities to provide quality patient care. The results also show that levels of communication and engagement between health authorities have improved, even during an exceptionally challenging year. While hurdles certainly remain, these results will be harnessed to help improve the workplace for all in BC’s healthcare system. 

Doctors of BC will be reaching out to all health authorities and looks forward to working together to support areas of opportunity highlighted by the survey results – specifically transparency and the promotion of a healthy and safe workplace. We will continue to use the findings from this annual survey to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts among physician members, health authorities, the Ministry of Health, and other health-sector stakeholders.

Survey report
Summary fact sheet of the key findings
Supplemental report


2019 Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey

In April 2019, Doctors of BC conducted its fourth annual Health Authority Engagement Survey which measures BC physicians’ level of engagement with their respective health authority. The same nine questions are asked on an annual basis, and this year an additional two new questions were asked to help measure how physicians feel about the health and safety of their workplace. The Survey Report provides a detailed breakdown of those questions while also allowing for comparisons across regions and physician practice types. The Supplemental Report includes a detailed breakdown of the questions with regards to facilities, divisions and medical leadership.

This year’s key findings show consistency in results compared to 2018. This indicates stability in areas of strength such as physicians’ levels of satisfaction with their health authority, but also in areas of opportunity related to senior leadership engagement. The report also highlights that not only does recent work on engagement need to continue, but additional work is required to help increase engagement and improve the workplace for all in the health care system.

Doctors of BC will be reaching out to health authorities in an effort to work together to support areas of opportunity highlighted by the survey results. The two key areas we would like to address in future work is transparency and the promotion of a healthy and safe workplace. We will continue to use the findings from this annual survey to help inform and support ongoing collaborative efforts among physician members, health authorities, the Ministry of Health and other health-sector stakeholders.

Survey report
Summary fact sheet of the key findings
Supplemental report


2018 Doctors of BC Health Authority Engagement Survey

In Spring 2018, BC’s physicians participated in the third annual Health Authority Engagement Survey designed to measure their level of engagement with their respective health authority. The same nine questions as previous years were asked, and this report provides a detailed breakdown of those questions, as well as comparisons across regions, facilities, divisions and physician practice types.

The key findings in this year’s report show notable improvements in physicians’ satisfaction with their health authority as a place to practice medicine. There were also smaller improvements in senior leaders’ communication and transparency in decision-making. Conversely, the report shows a decline in physicians’ ability to provide meaningful input into their practice environment, particularly for family physicians. Overall, while there was progress in some areas, the results confirm that fundamental change will take time.

Doctors of BC looks forward to using this year’s findings to both inform and help support collaborative efforts among physician members, health authorities, the Ministry of Health and other health-sector stakeholders.

Survey report
Summary fact sheet of the key findings
Supplemental report


2017 Health Authority Engagement Survey

The results of the second annual Health Authority Engagement Survey, in which members participated earlier this year, are now available. The purpose of the annual survey is to seek members’ views regarding their engagement and interaction with their health authority so that going forward we can track any changing attitudes. The same nine questions from Accreditation Canada’s Worklife Pulse Tool were asked last year, and this report provides a detailed breakdown of those questions by health authority, practice type, and location. 
 
The key findings in the report suggest an improvement in team collaboration along with greater opportunities to provide meaningful input into changes affecting practice environment. Conversely, the report also suggests more needs to be done to improve senior leadership’s communication and level of transparency regarding decision-making.

Doctors of BC looks forward to using the findings of the report to continue developing strategies that help foster collaboration among physicians, health authorities, the Ministry of Health, and other health-sector stakeholders.

Survey report
Summary fact sheet of the key findings
Supplemental report