Spousal Perspectives on Factors Influencing Recruitment and Retention of Rural Family Physicians

Lead Researcher and Department
Dr. Maria Mathews, Dept of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University

Collaborators and Students
Erin Mayo, Dept of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University

Summary
Attracting and retaining physicians to rural areas is a challenge. A complex mix of factors influences physician recruitment and retention. Concerns and experiences of the spouse and family are highly influential in the decision to move to, remain in, or leave a rural practice location.

Thirteen interviews with spouses of rural family physicians were conducted. They were used to explore the experiences and perspectives of spouses of rural physicians to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence spousal contentment and how these factors contribute to recruitment and retention of physicians to rural practice locations.

A conceptual framework was developed to understand how various factors influence spousal contentment. The framework includes two types of factors, indirect and direct. Indirect factors do not directly impact spousal contentment but provide background to the reasons why a physicians moves to a rural community. Direct factors have a more immediate impact on contentment and related to retention rather than recruitment.

Contentment of physicians and their spouses is crucial for recruitment and retention. Understanding how direct and indirect factors collectively influence one another and contribute to satisfaction with rural practices, will lead to development of policies to support long-term retention of rural physicians.

Dates
2003 –

Keywords
Rural Medicine, Rural Physicians, Physician Retention, Physician Recruitment, Physicians Spouses/Family

Locations
Bonavista
Burin
Clarenville
Clarenville - Bonavista
Burin Peninsula
Zone 16 - Schooner
Zone 15 - Discovery

Industry Sectors
Health Care and Social Assistance
Medical Research and Development Laboratories (Professional, Scientific and Technical Services — Scientific Research and Development Services — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences)
Social Science Research and Development (Professional, Scientific and Technical Services — Scientific Research and Development Services — Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities)

Thematic Categories
Physicians (Health)
Rural Health (Health)

Departments
Faculty of Medicine (STJ)