An Evaluation of the Determinants of Job Satisfaction in Canadian Family Physicians

Physicians as a group appear to be satisfied with their work. However, there are some gaps in our current understanding of the determinants that impact the job satisfaction of Canadian family physicians. This thesis examined determinants of family physician job satisfaction using in-depth interviews with family physicians to achieve a broad perspective on their job satisfaction. This was complemented by a multivariate analysis that examined the professional and work-life balance satisfaction of physicians across this country. The findings from this research confirm the significance of a number of factors to the professional and work-life balance satisfaction of family physicians. Novel findings included an overall dissatisfaction with electronic medical record use and increased satisfaction of focused practice family physicians. Addressing the factors that contribute to family physician satisfaction can have a significant impact on physician recruitment, retention and on patient outcomes