Exell Beth, Vnuk Anna
James Cook University, Cairns, Australia.
Aust J Rural Health. 2025 Aug;33(4):e70076. doi: 10.1111/ajr.70076.
To explore factors that enable and encourage GP Obstetricians (GPOs) to remain in their role providing perinatal care and delivery services in rural and remote locations.
Rural and remote locations in North and Far North Queensland.
Participants were GPOs providing maternity care and delivery services. They were invited to be interviewed for the study via hospital email and snowballing.
We conducted 11 semi-structured interviews with GPOs from July to August 2023. Interview data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis into themes and subthemes.
We identified two overarching themes as enablers: job satisfaction and support. Job satisfaction was composed of enjoyment arising from an interest in the field and procedural work, and feelings of fulfilment deriving from serving the community. Support centred around constant, supportive interactions with midwifery and medical colleagues in the workplace, medical colleges, and staff at regional referral centres.
As GPOs who remain in rural and remote areas identify support as a key enabler, establishing strategies to improve service delivery and retention involves expanding and supporting the current system as well as implementing new approaches to support practitioners both at work and home. Skill maintenance should be tailored toward individual needs, referral centres need to have a fostering and inclusive mindset toward their rural practitioners, review systems should be inquisitive and constructive rather than punitive, and colleges should foster and support their fellows.
探讨促使和鼓励全科产科医生（GPOs）继续在农村和偏远地区提供围产期护理和分娩服务的因素。
昆士兰州北部和极北地区的农村和偏远地区。
提供孕产妇护理和分娩服务的全科产科医生。通过医院电子邮件和滚雪球抽样邀请他们参与本研究的访谈。
2023年7月至8月，我们对全科产科医生进行了11次半结构化访谈。访谈数据采用主题分析法进行编码和分析，形成主题和子主题。
我们确定了两个总体主题作为促成因素：工作满意度和支持。工作满意度包括因对该领域和程序性工作的兴趣而产生的愉悦感，以及因服务社区而产生的成就感。支持主要围绕在工作场所、医学院以及地区转诊中心与助产士和医疗同事持续进行的支持性互动。
由于留在农村和偏远地区的全科产科医生将支持视为关键促成因素，制定改善服务提供和留住人才的策略包括扩展和支持现有系统，以及实施新方法来在工作和家庭方面支持从业者。技能维护应根据个人需求进行调整，转诊中心需要对农村从业者持有培养和包容的心态，审查系统应具有探究性和建设性而非惩罚性，医学院应培养和支持其学员。
