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Published on: August 8, 2019
The working hours of general practitioners 2000-2008
1Research Institute of the Norwegian Medical Association, Oslo, Norway. olaf.aasland@legeforeningen.no
Summary
Norwegian general practitioners (GPs) worked approximately one hour longer per week by 2008, mainly due to increased hours for women GPs. Perceived workload decreased significantly, possibly due to the list-patient system.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Public health
- General practice
Background:
- Limited data exists on general practitioner (GP) working hours.
- Understanding GP workload is crucial for healthcare system planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in weekly working hours of Norwegian GPs from 2000 to 2008.
- To examine changes in patient list sizes and perceived workload among GPs during the same period.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from a reference panel of Norwegian GPs surveyed in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.
- Weekly working hours and patient list lengths were recorded.
- Statistical analysis using non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals to assess differences.
Main Results:
- Average weekly working hours for GPs increased from 45.1 in 2000 to 46.4 in 2008.
- This increase was primarily observed among women GPs; men's hours remained stable.
- The proportion of GPs reporting an unacceptable workload decreased from 38.1% to 25.5% between 2000 and 2008.
Conclusions:
- GP working hours slightly increased between 2000 and 2008, with women GPs experiencing the largest rise.
- A significant reduction in perceived workload was noted, potentially linked to the implementation of the list-patient system.
- The list-patient system may enhance GP control over their workload.
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