Factors Affecting Korean Physician Job Satisfaction.

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Health Services Research
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Previous studies on physician job satisfaction in Korea were limited by scope and regional focus.
• A comprehensive understanding of factors influencing job satisfaction across the entire Korean physician population was lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the level of job satisfaction among physicians in Korea.
• To identify key factors affecting physician job satisfaction using a nationwide dataset.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the '2016 Korean Physician Survey (KPS)', encompassing all physicians in Korea.
• Employed ordinal logistic regression analysis to identify significant factors.
• Controlled for socio-demographic variables including gender, age, specialty, and employment characteristics.

Main Results:

• Positive physician-patient relationships, clinical decision-making autonomy, and healthy peer/staff relations significantly impact job satisfaction.
• Social respect, desirable income, adequate healthcare resources, and appropriate workload are crucial for physician job satisfaction.
• Factors such as personal leisure time, administration, and regulatory burdens were also analyzed in relation to satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing physician job satisfaction requires fostering positive patient interactions, professional autonomy, and supportive work environments.
• Addressing factors like income, resources, and workload is essential for physician well-being and retention.
• Creating conditions for patient-oriented care is vital for advancing national healthcare outcomes.