ArticleBMC health services research2018
Retention of medical doctors at the district level: a qualitative study of experiences from Tanzania.
Article in BMC health services research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed.
- Benefits, challenges, and the way forward: medical specialists' perception on family physician integration in healthcare system in Tanzania.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- The Exodus of Young Doctors in Tanzania: Implications and Urgent Solutions.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Article
- Influences of Western Cape community service doctors' choice regarding public, rural practice.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2025Observational
- Do compensation models affect family physician job satisfaction? Scoping review.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2025Article
- Retention strategies for medical doctors in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): are they effective? A scoping review.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Overview of Retention Strategies for Medical Doctors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and Their Effectiveness: Protocol for a Scoping Review.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Article
- Health care prioritization process for the elderly in rural Tanzania under decentralized system: Prospects and challenges.PloS one · 2024Article
- Factors associated with the attraction and retention of family and community medicine and nursing residents in rural settings: a qualitative study.BMC medical education · 2023Article
- Drivers of retention of the HIV workforce transitioned from PEPFAR support to the Uganda government payroll.Human resources for health · 2023Article
- The effects of positive leadership on quality of work and life of family doctors: The moderated role of culture.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Work-related factors affecting the retention of medical officers in the preventive health sector in Sri Lanka.Human resources for health · 2022Article
- A qualitative inquiry of rural-urban inequalities in the distribution and retention of healthcare workers in southern Nigeria.PloS one · 2022Article
- Accommodate or Reject: The Role of Local Communities in the Retention of Health Workers in Rural Tanzania.International journal of health policy and management · 2022Article
- It is beyond remuneration: Bottom-up health workers' retention strategies at the primary health care system in Tanzania.PloS one · 2021Article
- The rural-urban divide in Tanzania: Residential context and socioeconomic inequalities in maternal health care utilization.PloS one · 2020Article
- Task sharing and performance of Caesarean section by the Assistant Medical Officers in Tanzania: What have we learned?The East African health research journal · 2020Article
- Clinical Characteristics and Factors Associated with Heart Failure Readmission at a Tertiary Hospital in North-Eastern Tanzania.Cardiology research and practice · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRetention of Human Resources for Health (HRH), particularly doctors at district level is a big challenge facing the decentralized health systems in poorly resourced countries. Tanzania, with 75% of its population in rural areas, has only 26% of doctors serving in rural areas. We aimed to analyze the experiences regarding the retention of doctors at district level in Tanzania from doctors' and district health managers' perspectives.
methodsA qualitative study was carried out in three districts from June to September 2013. We reviewed selected HRH documents and then conducted 15 key informant interviews with members of the District Health Management teams and medical doctors working at the district hospitals. In addition, we conducted three focus group discussions with Council Health Management Team members in the three districts. Incentive package plans, HRH establishment, and health sector development plans from the three districts were reviewed. Data analysis was performed using qualitative content analysis.
resultsNone of the districts in this study has the number of doctors recommended. Retention of doctors in the districts faced the following challenges: unfavourable working conditions including poor working environment, lack of assurance of career progression, and a non-uniform financial incentive system across districts; unsupportive environment in the community, characterized by: difficulty in securing houses for rent, lack of opportunities to earn extra income, lack of appreciation from the community and poor social services. Health managers across districts endeavour to retain their doctors through different retention strategies, including: career development plans, minimum financial incentive packages and avenues for private practices in the district hospitals. However, managers face constrained financial resources, with many competing priorities at district level.
conclusionsRetention of doctors at district level faces numerous challenges. Assurance of career growth, provision of uniform minimum financial incentives and ensuring availability of good social services and economic opportunities within the community are among important retention strategies.
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