title: Location decisions of family physicians in Saskatchewan: What really matters?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Residents of Saskatchewan, particularly those in rural communities, have less access to family physician services than people in other parts of the country. This is partly due to the difficulty of attracting and retaining physicians. The objective of this study was to understand the major factors that influence the location decisions of family physicians in Saskatchewan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed a mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire survey of family physicians and interviews with individuals from stakeholder health agencies. We used interpretive description to analyze interview responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither family physicians nor interviewees from health agencies named compensation as the most influential factor in location decisions. More important factors were family influences, work-life balance and community influences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend that recruitment of family physicians be regarded as a matching process, in which family physicians and communities are strategically matched. Compensating incentives should be targeted at communities that cannot meet the requirements of family physicians.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Justice, Government of Saskatchewan, Regina, Sask.
authors.forename: Obeyaa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ampofo-Addo
authors.affiliation: Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.
authors.forename: Haizhen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.affiliation: Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olfert
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goodridge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006077:Government Agencies; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012424:Rural Population; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D012525:Saskatchewan; D012577:Schools, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload