Physician job satisfaction in primary care

Abstract EN

Objective : To evaluate the level of job satisfaction among primary care physicians (PHCPs) in the Ministry of Health in Bahrain.

Design : Questionnaire cross-sectional study.

Setting : Primary care, Bahrain.

Method : Self-administered questionnaire which consist of two parts : social and personal characteristic part, and job satisfaction survey part.

It was distributed to 262 primary health care physicians in December 2006.

Job satisfaction survey studied nine aspects (pay, promotion, supervision, fringe benefits, contingent rewards, operating condition, co-workers, nature of work, and communication).

Each aspect was studied by 4 items.

Job satisfaction measured by 6-likert rating scale, ranging from disagrees very much (rating 1) to agree very much (rating 6).

Result : Hundred and eleven primary care physicians (PHCPs) (42 %) returned the completed questionnaire.

In general, PHCPs were slightly satisfied.

The highest level of satisfaction was derived from the nature of work (mean = 4.69, SD = 1.06), supervision (mean = 4.62, SD = 1.20), co-workers (mean = 4.58, SD = 0.86), and communication (mean = 3.80, SD = 1.09, while the least satisfaction was derived from the promotion (mean=2.56, SD= 1.12) and unexpected rewards (mean=2.61, SD= 1.15), followed by fringe benefits (mean = 2.65, SD-1.09), pay (mean = 2.76, SD =1.26), and operating conditions (mean = 2.85, SD = 0.71).

Non-Bahraini, males, older than 50 years, married and those working evening shifts were the most satisfied.

Conclusion : PHCPs were found to be slightly satisfied.

There was variation in level of satisfaction between different health centers.

Moderately satisfied was the maximum that could be achieved.