Physicians’ perceptions on the impact of telemedicine on recruitment and retention in underserved areas: a descriptive study in Senegal

Human Resources for Health

Research

Ronald Labonté¹  Birama Apho Ly²  Ivy Lynn Bourgeault³  Mbayang Ndiaye Niang⁴ 

[1] Population Health Program, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;Population Health Program, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;Public Health Teaching and Research Department, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, BP: E 3624, Bamako, Mali;Population Health Program, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;Telemedicine Research and Expertise Interdisciplinary Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal;

关键词: Physician perception;    Telemedicine;    Senegal;    Recruitment and retention;    Rural and remote areas;    Underserved areas;    Perception des médecins, Télémédecine, Sénégal, Recrutement et rétention, Régions rurales et éloignées, Régions desservies;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12960-017-0242-z

 received in 2017-01-09, accepted in 2017-09-13,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSimilar to many places, physicians in Senegal are unevenly distributed. Telemedicine is considered a potential solution to this problem. This study investigated the perceptions of Senegal’s physicians of the impact of telemedicine on their recruitment to and retention in underserved areas.MethodsWe conducted individual interviews with a random sample of 60 physicians in Senegal, including 30 physicians working in public hospitals and 30 physicians working in district health centres between January and June 2014, as part of a mixed methods study. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide comprising both open- and close-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded thematically using NVivo 10 software using a priori and emergent codes. Participants’ characteristics were analyzed descriptively using SPSS 23.ResultsThe impact of telemedicine on physicians’ recruitment and retention in underserved areas was perceived with some variability. Among the physicians who were interviewed, most (36) thought that telemedicine could have a positive impact on their recruitment and retention but many (24) believed the opposite. The advantages noted by the first included telemedicine’s ability to break their professional isolation and reduce the stress related to this, facilitate their distance learning and improve their working conditions. They did acknowledge that it is not sufficient in itself, an opinion also shared by physicians who did not believe that telemedicine could affect their recruitment and retention. Both identified contextual, economic, educational, family, individual, organizational and professional factors as influential.ConclusionBased on these opinions of physicians, telemedicine promotion is one intervention that, alongside others, could be promoted to assist in addressing the multiple factors that influence physicians’ recruitment and retention in underserved areas.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017