Modeling factors explaining physicians' satisfaction with competence.

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice Management
• Physician Wellness
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Physician wellness is increasingly important due to complex medical practice environments.
• Physician satisfaction is crucial for maintaining high-quality patient care and practice growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model physicians' self-reported Satisfaction with Competence.
• To examine the relationship between Satisfaction with Competence and factors like Quality of Health Services, Distress, Coping, Practice Management, Personal Satisfaction, and Professional Equity.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 2639 physicians across Canada.
• Data collected via comprehensive questionnaires measuring various aspects of physician satisfaction and practice.
• Hierarchical regressions and Pearson correlations were used to analyze relationships.

Main Results:

• Satisfaction with Competence was strongly correlated with Personal Satisfaction (r=0.57) and negatively with Distress (r=-0.54).
• Quality of Health Services, Distress, Coping, Personal Satisfaction, Practice Management, and Professional Equity collectively explained 60.2% of the variation in Satisfaction with Competence.
• All measured factors demonstrated high reliability and comparative validity.

Conclusions:

• Factors such as excessive duties, quality concerns, distress, and inequities significantly impact physician Satisfaction with Competence.
• Improving practice management, addressing physician distress, and ensuring professional equity are vital for enhancing physician satisfaction and well-being.