Ontario's underserviced area program revisited: an indirect analysis

Financial incentive programs are used in various developed and developing countries to effect change in the geographic distribution of physicians. The Underserviced Area Program of Ontario is the longest running financial incentive program in Canada. It is described in detail and analyzed for its effectiveness in solving the problems of the maldistribution of physicians in northern Ontario. Using location quotients as an indirect measure shows that the maldistribution of physicians continues despite the implementation of the program. It is argued that the unidimensional solution of financial incentives cannot be used to solve the multidimensional issue of accessibility to health care in rural and remote areas.