title: Growing discontent of Swiss doctors, 1998-2007.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Work satisfaction of doctors is a useful indicator of the functioning of the health-care system. We documented the work satisfaction of doctors nine years apart, before and after the implementation of several health-care reforms (limitation of working hours for medical trainees, restrictions on new doctors' offices, new reimbursement fee schedule, greater administrative controls).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two surveys of all doctors working in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland (1998: 1146 respondents, 2007: 1546 respondents). The doctors filled in a 17-item questionnaire rating their satisfaction with different aspects of their professional life, each on a scale between 1 and 7. For each item, proportions of highly satisfied (scores 6-7) and highly dissatisfied (scores 1-2) doctors were compared over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of doctors who were highly satisfied decreased significantly for 15 out of 17 items between 1998 and 2007. Meanwhile, 'time available for family, friends, or leisure' improved, and 'opportunity for continuing education' remained stable. Proportions of highly satisfied respondents decreased the most for 'enjoyment of work' (-17.2%), 'autonomy in treating your patients' (-15.8%), 'autonomy in referring patients to a specialist' (-14.0%), 'relations with patients' (-13.9%) and 'global satisfaction with current work situation' (-13.3%). The proportion of respondents who were highly dissatisfied (score 1-2) increased the most for 'administrative burden' (+8.9%) and 'social status and respect' (+5.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Doctors' satisfaction with most aspects of their professional lives has decreased sharply during the past decade. This trend may be linked, tentatively, with specific policy changes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospitals of Geneva, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. thomas.perneger@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Thomas V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Perneger
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deom
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cullati
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bovier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland