Document Detail


Recruitment and retention of rural general practitioners: a marketing approach reveals new possibilities.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17970898     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: This paper repositions the challenge of attracting and retaining rural GPs in a marketing context as a new focus for future research and policy development. DESIGN: Case study with mixed design of surveys of GPs and medical students and depth interviews with GPs, medical students, regional-division administrators and GP recruitment agents. SETTING: GP recruitment and retention in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-seven Limestone Coast (LC) GPs; random sample of medical students from Adelaide University, Adelaide University Rural Health Society and Flinders University; snowball sampling two adjacent rural regions (20 GPs); and administrators from LC and adjacent regions and GP recruitment agencies in Adelaide. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Drawing from marketing theory, creative suggestion of 'promotion of the practice and not the region' offers a means of GP recruitment and retention for structured succession planning for rural general practices. RESULTS: Structural attempts to broaden the GP market with overseas recruitment have done little for improving full-time equivalent GP levels. Market segmentation and market orientation offer a new emphasis on value exchange between the corporation (the practice), customer (GPs) and competition (all practices) to influence future mobility. CONCLUSION: A marketing orientation to the GP challenge emphasises individual's perceptions of value, GP expectations and practice offerings. Failure to acknowledge benefits of this marketing approach means that solutions such as those developed in the Limestone Coast region are unlikely. Research is now required to define GP satisfaction and value for long-term viability of general practices.
Authors:
Elizabeth Hemphill; Steve Dunn; Hayley Barich; Rebecca Infante
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Multicenter Study    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Australian journal of rural health     Volume:  15     ISSN:  1038-5282     ISO Abbreviation:  Aust J Rural Health     Publication Date:  2007 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-10-31     Completed Date:  2008-01-23     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9305903     Medline TA:  Aust J Rural Health     Country:  Australia    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  360-7     Citation Subset:  N    
Affiliation:
School of Marketing, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia. elizabeth.hemphill@unisa.edu.au
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Australia
Female
Health Care Sector
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Job Satisfaction
Male
Marketing / methods*
Middle Aged
Organizational Case Studies
Personnel Management / methods*
Personnel Selection
Physicians, Family / supply & distribution*
Rural Health Services / manpower*
South Australia

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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