title: The role of clinical workload and satisfaction with workload in rural primary care physician retention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between clinical workload and workload satisfaction in rural primary care physician retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from a survey, "Practice Patterns of Young Physicians, 1987: United States," were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on rural primary care (general or family practice, general internal medicine, or pediatrics) physicians working full time (> 35 h/wk) in clinical care were analyzed (n = 373).
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported likelihood of leaving the current practice within the next 2 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five percent of the physicians indicated that they were somewhat or very likely to leave the practice within the next 2 years. The modal reason for the likelihood of leaving was working too many hours (21%). Forty-nine percent of the respondents were dissatisfied with their workload. Those who were dissatisfied with their workload reported a greater likelihood of leaving (P = .0005). However, a quantitative measure of workload was not significantly related to the likelihood of leaving. The results of a multiple regression indicated that employees and those dissatisfied with their workload were most likely to leave the practice within the next 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Satisfaction with clinical workload is an important factor in the likelihood of retaining rural primary care physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mainous
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramsbottom-Lucier
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology / Q000600:supply & distribution; D012424:Rural Population; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload