Abstract
Background:
General practitioners (GPs) play a key role in securing and coordinating appropriate use of health
care services. Historically, European GPs have had high job satisfaction, attributed to high
autonomy and compatibility with family life. However, trends of increasing workload in general
practice is now seen in several European countries including Norway, leading to recruitment
problems and concerns about both the GPs´ and the patients´ wellbeing.
Aim:
This qualitative interview study with GPs and their co-workers, aims to explore their perception of
the causes and consequences of workload in Norwegian general practice.
Methods:
We conducted 7 focus groups and 4 individual interviews with GPs and their co-workers in
Mid-Norway. Our study population included 23 GPs and 10 co-workers (21 females and 12 males).
The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation.
Results:
The analysis identified three main themes: 1) Increasing workload – fluctuations or trend?; 2)
Causes of high workload; 3) Consequences of high workload. Our findings show that both GPs and
their co-workers experience workload as increasing. They addressed multiple causes for this; the
most frequently mentioned being the transfer of tasks from secondary care, as a result of new
Norwegian legislations. Changes in society, both in patients´ expectations and help seeking
behaviour, and the higher need for documentation, were perceived as important causes. Most of
the participants agreed that high workload had a negative impact on their practice, and many
expressed concerns for the future in regard to patient safety, their own health and motivation, and
the recruitment of new GPs.
Conclusions:
This study sheds light on the perceived mechanisms of high workload for GPs and their co-workers
in Norway. A unifying feature of the participants´ responses is an experience of increasingly high
workload, where current conditions are not sustainable.
General practitioners (GPs) play a key role in securing and coordinating appropriate use of health
care services. Historically, European GPs have had high job satisfaction, attributed to high
autonomy and compatibility with family life. However, trends of increasing workload in general
practice is now seen in several European countries including Norway, leading to recruitment
problems and concerns about both the GPs´ and the patients´ wellbeing.
Aim:
This qualitative interview study with GPs and their co-workers, aims to explore their perception of
the causes and consequences of workload in Norwegian general practice.
Methods:
We conducted 7 focus groups and 4 individual interviews with GPs and their co-workers in
Mid-Norway. Our study population included 23 GPs and 10 co-workers (21 females and 12 males).
The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation.
Results:
The analysis identified three main themes: 1) Increasing workload – fluctuations or trend?; 2)
Causes of high workload; 3) Consequences of high workload. Our findings show that both GPs and
their co-workers experience workload as increasing. They addressed multiple causes for this; the
most frequently mentioned being the transfer of tasks from secondary care, as a result of new
Norwegian legislations. Changes in society, both in patients´ expectations and help seeking
behaviour, and the higher need for documentation, were perceived as important causes. Most of
the participants agreed that high workload had a negative impact on their practice, and many
expressed concerns for the future in regard to patient safety, their own health and motivation, and
the recruitment of new GPs.
Conclusions:
This study sheds light on the perceived mechanisms of high workload for GPs and their co-workers
in Norway. A unifying feature of the participants´ responses is an experience of increasingly high
workload, where current conditions are not sustainable.
