[Evaluation by public health physicians of collaboration and workload within municipal health services].
BACKGROUND
We wanted to explore the quality and importance of the collaboration between public health physicians and selected groups of professionals and politicians.


METHODS
The study was a cross-sectional survey based on self-administered questionnaires with closed questions. Response came from 218 public health doctors who worked in the municipalities throughout the study period (1988-91), and from 98 doctors who left public health during the same period (81% and 86% of the study populations respectively).


RESULTS
The doctors reported good and important collaboration with other health professionals, but less good and less important collaboration with other professionals and with politicians. With increased administrative distance between the doctor and other municipality staff, the perceived quality of the collaboration decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Closer collaboration between public health doctors and important decision makers in the municipality promotes job satisfaction among doctors and may reduce turn-over.
Kolstrup
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Institutt for samfunnsmedisin Universitetet i Tromsø.
Kristiansen
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IS
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009664:Norway; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012936:Social Medicine; D012947:Social Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload