Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2015.56.366
Stressed and overworked? A cross-sectional study of the working situation of urban and rural general practitioners in Austria in the framework of the QUALICOPC project
Kathryn Hoffmann
orcid.org/0000-0001-8760-4250
; Department of General Practice, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Silvia Wojczewski
; Department of General Practice, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Aaron George
; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Willemijn L. A. Schäfer
; NIVEL – the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research,Utrecht, the Netherlands
Manfred Maier
; Department of General Practice, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Abstract
Aim To assess the workload of general practitioners (GPs)
in Austria, with a focus on identifying the differences between
GPs working in urban and rural areas.
Methods Within the framework of the Quality and Costs
of Primary Care in Europe (QUALICOPC) study, data were
collected from a stratified sample of GPs using a standardized
questionnaire between November 2011 and May
2012. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and regression
analysis.
Results The analysis included data from 173 GPs. GPs in
rural areas reported an average of 49.3 working hours per
week, plus 23.7 on-call duties per 3 months and 26.2 outof-
office care services per week. Compared to GPs working
in urban areas, even in the fully adjusted regression
model, rural GPs had significantly more working hours (B
7.00; P = 0.002) and on-call duties (B 18.91; P < 0.001). 65.8%
of all GPs perceived their level of stress as high and 84.6%
felt they were required to do unnecessary administrative
work.
Conclusion Our findings show a high workload among
Austrian GPs, particularly those working in rural areas.
Since physicians show a diminishing interest to work as
GPs, there is an imperative to improve this situation.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
151546
URI
Publication date:
15.8.2015.
Visits: 1.635 *