Impact of support initiatives on retaining rural general practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Dr DOC program, a rural doctor workforce support program, which consists of social and psychological support and practical interventions, on the well-being and retention of rural GPs. DESIGN: Rural GPs were assessed on different aspects of well-being and their intentions to leave rural general practice, and these were compared with similar data collected two years prior. SETTING: Rural general practices in South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and twenty-one rural GPs (55% of South Australian rural GP workforce). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: GPs completed a questionnaire assessing their levels of support, intention to leave rural practice, use of the dr doc program, and psychological health. RESULTS: Improvements were found in the support networks and in the physical and emotional health of rural GPs from time 1 to time 2. There was also a reduction in the number of GPs wanting to leave rural general practice in the short to medium term (from 30% to 25%). CONCLUSIONS: The initial study in this series suggested that improving psychological well-being might influence rural GPs' intentions to leave rural practice. The current study confirms these suggestions by demonstrating that programs targeted at psychological and physical well-being do indeed impact on rural GPs' intentions to leave. The results of this study highlight the role of psychological well-being in retaining rural GPs and emphasise the value of developing psychologically based programs to not only boost the physical and mental health of GPs, but also to reduce departure from rural areas.

The role of psychological well-being in retaining rural general practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: Retention of rural GPs is an increasing area of concern and is receiving considerable attention from the government, medical authorities and the media. This study aimed to examine the potential for psychological interventions to assist in the retention of rural GPs through targeting their psychological well-being. DESIGN: GPs completed a questionnaire, including questions about their level of support in rural practice, psychological health (work-related morale and distress, distress related specifically to working in rural general practice, quality of work life) and intentions to leave rural practice. SETTING: Rural general practices in South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and eighty-seven rural GPs. RESULTS: Results indicated that rural GPs who were seriously considering leaving rural practice had higher work-related distress, higher distress related specifically to working in a rural general practice and lower quality of work life. GPs who considered leaving rural practice also reported having fewer colleagues with whom to discuss professional issues. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that psychological interventions (such as cognitive behavioural training), assistance with stress reduction and coping mechanisms (such as more interaction with colleagues) may be of benefit to GPs who are considering leaving rural practice. Such training may increase the number of GPs who ultimately stay in rural practice.