ArticleBMC health services research2026
Factors contributing to 25-year-long retention of South Australian general practitioners in rural practice: a cross-sectional survey.
Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION/
backgroundThe difficulty in retaining general practitioners (GPs) in rural and remote parts of Australia is well recognised. Fewer GPs ultimately means patients are more likely to wait longer for GP services, and experience poorer health outcomes as compared to their urban counterparts.
objectivesTo investigate the perceived factors that influenced the long-term retention of GPs in rural South Australia (SA). METHOD/
designCross-sectional survey with questions assessing three main domains of personal, professional and social factors. SETTING AND
participantsGPs who have served twenty-five years in rural areas of SA are presented with a Long Service Award. These GPs were invited to participate over email with the questionnaire sent using Survey Monkey.
main outcome measuresRetention factors were assessed across the domains: personal factors related to demographics, background, training, type of practice; professional factors related to scope of practice and finance, and social factors related to lifestyle and extracurricular activities.
resultsMembers of the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency of South Australia who had served 25 years in rural areas of SA (n = 142) were invited to participate and 60 responded. Three-quarters had rural experience as a medical student and had over 30 years’ experience in rural practice. Involvement in hospital care, emergency medicine/on call, teaching, indemnity support and on-call allowance were the top professional factors perceived as influencing retention. A sense of community, flexible shared after-hours work, regular holidays, friendship groups, community respect, sports, participating in rural students’ elective placement and volunteering were the factors linked to social aspects.
conclusionThe current study sought to identify what factors GPs perceived influenced their decision to practice in rural or remote areas. This is crucial for understanding the key factors the next generation of rural GPs. Promoting rural medical student experience, arrangements with hospital and procedure-related practice, financial support, a shared workload, and a sense of community may encourage GPs to remain and serve in rural areas. Understanding the factors derived from a cohort of long-serving rural GPs is advantageous for policymakers to implement targeted retention strategies tailored to the specific factors.
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