title: Can hospital-based doctors change their working hours? Evidence from Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore factors predicting hospital-based doctors' desire to work less, and then their success in making that change.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive waves of an Australian longitudinal survey of doctors (Medicine in Australia-Balancing Employment and Life). There were 6285 and 6337 hospital-based completers in the two waves, consisting of specialists, hospital-based non-specialists and specialist registrars.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight per cent stated a preference to reduce hours. Predictive characteristics were being female and working more than 40 h/week (both P < 0.01). An inverted U-shape relationship was observed for age, with younger and older doctors less likely to state the preference. Factors associated with not wanting to reduce working hours were being in excellent health and being satisfied with work (both P < 0.01). Of those who wanted to reduce working hours, only 32% successfully managed to do so in the subsequent year (defined by a reduction of at least 5 h/week). Predictors of successfully reducing hours were being older, female and working more than 40 h/week (all P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several factors predict the desire of hospital-based doctors to reduce hours and then their subsequent success in doing so. Designing policies that seek to reduce attrition may alleviate some of the ongoing pressures in the Australian hospital system.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE), University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance
keywords: Australia; doctor; health workforce