• Luke Barbour, Maya Venkataraman, Alexandra Bland, Anna de Waal, Jordie Fischer, Kishore Hari, and Stefan Grzybowski.
• Medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a member of the Rural Health Services Research Network of BC, both in Vancouver.
• Can Fam Physician. 2024 Nov 1; 70 (11-12): 719724719-724.

ObjectiveTo explore rural physician perspectives on how remuneration impacted their experiences of contributing to community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignExploratory, qualitative subanalysis.SettingTwenty-two rural communities in 4 Canadian provinces.ParticipantsFamily physicians, other health care professionals, and patients in rural communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.MethodsSemistructured, virtual interviews conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 were included in the subanalysis. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically.Main FindingsParticipants expressed working under an alternative payment plan (APP) model facilitated greater engagement in their communities and said they were generally fairly compensated for nonclinical duties. Increased time allotted to each patient re-centred care priorities to meet the long-term needs of the community. Finally, APP physicians stated their systems of care supported their own wellness throughout the pandemic.ConclusionFindings suggest physicians working in an APP model felt they had increased ability to engage with the community and contribute to its resilience. The flexibility of APPs may allow for more physician involvement in community sustainability that is not directly related to patient care.Copyright © 2024 the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

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