Caldron Paul H, Impens Ann, Pavlova Milena, Groot Wim
Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, University of Maastricht, Netherlands.
Midwestern University Institute of Healthcare Innovation, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA.
Int J Health Plann Manage. 2018 Jan;33(1):67-87. doi: 10.1002/hpm.2402. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
Short-term medical missions (STMMs) refer to the provision of direct pro bono medical services in lower and middle income countries for periods ranging from days to a few weeks by physicians from rich countries. Survey data have provided limited information on demographic and professional profiles of physicians as well as monetary and manpower inputs. Understanding why physicians participate, however, remains incomplete. The study's objective was to elicit physicians' motivations directly.
Semi-structured interviews of physicians identified through snowball recruiting were conducted to explore motivational themes and then analyzed using narrative software employing directed content analysis methodology.
Twenty physicians from varying backgrounds and specialties were interviewed. Responses identified aspects of the decision to participate and the relative influence of economic, diplomatic, value-related, and emotive constructs.
Personality traits may be more influential to participation than demographic, professional, or socioeconomic determinants. Word-of-mouth recruitment appears to underlie the increase in STMM activity, facilitated by information technology. Reported key motivators for physician participation in STMMs tend to parallel schools of thought regarding philanthropy and volunteering and include satisfaction from helping in challenging conditions of limited resources, learning experiences, appreciation from patients, sense of renewal, and the legacy effect of teaching.
短期医疗任务（STMMs）是指富裕国家的医生在低收入和中等收入国家提供为期数天至数周的直接无偿医疗服务。调查数据提供的关于医生的人口统计学和专业概况以及资金和人力投入的信息有限。然而，对于医生参与的原因，我们仍未完全了解。本研究的目的是直接了解医生的动机。
通过滚雪球式招募确定医生进行半结构化访谈，以探索动机主题，然后使用采用定向内容分析方法的叙事软件进行分析。
对20名来自不同背景和专业的医生进行了访谈。回答确定了参与决策的各个方面以及经济、外交、价值相关和情感因素的相对影响。
个性特征可能比人口统计学、专业或社会经济决定因素对参与的影响更大。口碑招募似乎是STMM活动增加的基础，信息技术对此起到了促进作用。报告的医生参与STMM的主要动机往往与慈善和志愿服务的思想流派相似，包括在资源有限的挑战性条件下提供帮助所带来的满足感、学习经历、患者的感激、恢复活力的感觉以及教学的传承效应。
