title: The impact of economic factors on migration considerations among Icelandic specialist doctors: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Globalization has facilitated the employability of doctors almost anywhere in the world. In recent years, the migration of doctors seems to have increased. However, we lack studies on doctors' migration from developed countries. Because the economic recession experienced by many countries might have affected the migration of doctors, research on this topic is important for the retention of doctors. Iceland was hit hard by the economic recession in 2008. Therefore, we want to explore how many specialist doctors in Iceland have considered migrating and whether economic factors at work and in private life, such as extensive cost-containment initiatives at work and worries about personal finances, are related to doctors' migration considerations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2010, all doctors in Iceland registered with the Icelandic Medical Association were sent an electronic cross-sectional survey by email. The 467 specialists who participated in this study represent 55% of all specialist doctors working in Iceland. Information on doctors' contemplation of migration was available from responses to the question: "Have you considered moving and working abroad?" The predictor variables in our logistic regression model are perceived cost-containment initiatives at work, stress related to personal finances, experience of working abroad during vacations, job dissatisfaction, job position, age, and gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three per cent of Iceland's specialist doctors had considered relocation abroad, 4% were moving in the next year or two, and 33% had not considered relocating. Logistic regression analysis shows that, controlling for age, gender, job position, job satisfaction, and experience of working abroad during vacations, doctors' migration considerations were significantly affected by their experiences of cost-containment initiatives at work (odds ratio (OR) = 2.0, p < 0.01) and being stressed about personal finances (OR = 1.6, p < 0.001). Age, job satisfaction, and working abroad during vacations also had an effect, whereas job position did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Economic factors affect whether specialist doctors in Iceland consider migration. More studies on the effect of economic recession on migration by doctors are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P,O,B, 1111 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway. i.b.solberg@studmed.uio.no.
authors.forename: Ingunn Bjarnadóttir
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Solberg
authors.forename: Kristinn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tómasson
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aasland
authors.forename: Reidar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tyssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003363:Cost Control / Q000191:economics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D057172:Economic Recession / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*