Spousal perspectives on factors influencing recruitment and retention of rural family physicians.
BACKGROUND
Recruiting and retaining medical personnel to rural communities is a human resource challenge. Studies suggest that the spouse's experiences and perceptions of a rural community are among the most influential factors in a physician's decision to remain in or leave a rural practice. This study describes the factors that both directly and indirectly influence spousal contentment and explores how these factors contribute toward recruitment and retention of physicians to rural practice locations.


METHODS
In this explorative study, 13 interviews were conducted with spouses of rural physicians to gain a better understanding of spousal concerns and experience regarding rural living. Participants in the present study included the spouses of general practitioners and family physicians practising and living in rural communities (population<or=10,000) on the Burin and Bonavista peninsulas of Newfoundland and Labrador. Specialists, residents and locums were excluded from the study.


RESULTS
The findings indicate that physician workload and community integration most highly influence spousal contentment. Other factors, including licensure, remuneration and physician demand, indirectly influence spousal contentment and, ultimately, practice location decisions. Many of the factors that directly influence spousal contentment are personal, and, as a result, it is difficult to implement policies that will influence them.


CONCLUSIONS
The physician's spouse is highly influential in the decision to move to, remain in, or leave a rural practice location. Understanding the factors that contribute to, and detract from, spouses' contentment in rural practice offers useful insights for human resource policies.
Mayo
Erin
E
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld.
Mathews
Maria
M
D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009523:Newfoundland and Labrador; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D019035:Rural Health Services; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D000078329:Workforce