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Operating Under Pressure: Challenges Facing Canadian Specialty Outpatient Clinics

Canadian specialty outpatient clinics are operating under compounding pressure that spans five structural domains: administrative overload, a referral system still anchored to the fax machine, a deepening workforce shortage, costly technology fragmentation, and widening patient experience gaps. This report draws on data from CIHI, Statistics Canada, Canada Health Infoway, the Canadian Medical Association, and peer-reviewed clinical literature to document the scale of each challenge — and examines the approaches leading clinics are using to respond. Essential reading for specialty clinic operators, practice managers, and health system decision-makers navigating 2025 conditions.