Thriving among Primary Care Physicians: a Qualitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Physician well-being
• Primary care medicine

Background:

• Physician burnout is prevalent in primary care, negatively impacting patient care quality.
• Few studies explore factors contributing to career and life satisfaction, termed 'thriving,' among physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors contributing to both career and life satisfaction in primary care physicians.
• To explore the phenomenon of physician 'thriving' through qualitative interviews.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with 32 primary care physicians between July 2018 and March 2020.
• Participants completed validated instruments for job/life satisfaction and burnout assessment.
• Interviews explored factors contributing to thriving, including work environment, social networks, and coping strategies, analyzed via thematic content analysis.

Main Results:

• All 32 interviewed physicians reported career and life satisfaction, with none meeting burnout criteria.
• Five critical themes emerged: intrinsic love for work, rich social networks, fulfilling doctor-patient relationships, value-oriented beliefs, and agency in the work environment.
• Participants' mean age was 54.7 years, with an average of 23.8 years in practice.

Conclusions:

• A model for physician thriving is proposed, integrating intrinsic factors (e.g., love for medicine, value-based beliefs) and extrinsic factors (e.g., social support).
• Findings highlight actionable strategies for enhancing professional fulfillment and life satisfaction in primary care.
• Discussion addresses barriers and opportunities for implementing these findings across the broader physician community.