Factors influencing Western Cape community service doctors’ choice of whether to seek employment in public, rural practice
Date
2024-12
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Shortage of staff in rural areas has contributed to long-standing inequitable healthcare access between urban and rural populations. One of South Africa’s strategies to address this is the compulsory community service program.(1) To capitalize on this, doctors need to be encouraged to remain in their facilities beyond their community service periods. Identifying factors that positively or negatively influence their decisions to stay could help to develop more focused strategies to promote the retention of doctors in rural areas.(2)
Aim: To describe the important factors influencing Western Cape community service doctors’ choice of whether they will seek employment in public rural practice.
Design and setting: This was an observational cross-sectional study with correlational analysis of community service doctors working in the Western Cape in 2022.
Method: Western Cape community service doctors were invited to complete an internet-based questionnaire.
Results: A total of 86 community service doctors completed the questionnaire, of whom 8% intended to work in public rural practice in 2023 and 21% considered rural practice sometime in the future. Demographic factors associated with the intention to work in rural practice were a rural upbringing (6.5 times more likely to consider rural practice) and rural placement for internship (7.7 times more likely to consider rural practice) and community
service (3.5 times more likely to consider rural practice). The most important factors influencing their decision for or against rural practice were issues of personal safety and security (mean likert score of 4.7) followed by job
satisfaction (mean likert score of 4.6) and mental health (mean likert score of 4.6). Rural upbringing (mean likert score of 1.8) and exposure in internship (mean likert score of 2.4) were ranked low in importance.
Conclusion: This study found the proportion of community service doctors considering working in public rural practice has not significantly increased (20%) compared to previous findings in the literature. Suggestions based on the
results include revision of strategy on the part of policy makers, preferential enrolment of medical students with a rural upbringing, and prioritisation of placing community service doctors in rural areas. More focus should be placed upon promoting safe, satisfying work environments which are protective of staff mental and psychological wellbeing.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
Description
Thesis (MFamMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.