Men are more likely to be in physiotherapy private practice than women
What: Physiotherapists in Canada, 2008
The proportion of male physiotherapists working in a group or solo professional practice/clinic was almost twice that of female physiotherapists in 2008. Group or solo professional practice settings were generally associated with higher worked hours. Male physiotherapists did report working more hours on average, over longer periods of their career, than female physiotherapists. Only 10% of female physiotherapists reported working an estimated 40 or more hours a week, and most of these female physiotherapists worked in a group or solo professional practice setting.
Physiotherapists in Canada, 2008 is the second annual report of its kind, examining supply, demographic, geographic, education and employment characteristics of physiotherapists across Canada. It includes detailed information for all provinces except Nova Scotia. Highlights from the report include
- There were 16,889 working physiotherapists in Canada, an increase of 3.1% from 2007 (excludes the territories).
- The majority of physiotherapists in Canada (78%) were female.
- Most physiotherapists in Canada (92%) worked in urban settings, leaving 8% in rural and small-town areas to cover the remaining quarter of the population.
- Physiotherapists worked in a variety of settings, such as hospitals (39%), the community (14%) and professional practice (40%).
- Almost 16% of physiotherapists in Canada were internationally educated.
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About CIHI
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments created CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI’s goal: to provide timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI’s data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.
