Abstract
BackgroundWork ability (WA) is an indication of how well someone’s health, skills and experience match current job demands. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the work ability model can provide a useful explanatory framework to understand some elements of sustainable employability (SE) amongst GPs.MethodsA thematic analysis of 19 in-depth interviews with GPs in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Australia, was conducted and formed the basis for a qualitative validation of the work ability model.ResultsIn order to provide a more comprehensive reflection on the factors and dynamics found to underpin work ability amongst ageing GPs required the creation of specific subcategories within the WA model. Additionally, new themes relevant to general practice also emerged from the data. The analyses revealed a set of important, new factors and relationships that required additions and refinements to the original model, in order to fully explain sustainable employability in this GP sample. These new emerging themes that required model extension were ‘Work-life balance and lifestyle’, ‘Extended social community’ and ‘Impact of gender’.ConclusionWhile the WA model provides a basic explanatory framework for understanding some elements of sustainable employability amongst GPs, a revision of the current model has been proposed to sufficiently describe the factors impinging on sustainable employability in this group. The extended model can potentially be used for addressing workforce planning issues and to assist in programme design to promote sustainable employability amongst GPs and could potentially be translated to other health professional groups.
Highlights
Work ability (WA) is an indication of how well someone’s health, skills and experience match current job demands
The analyses supported the general applicability of the WA model in understanding sustainable employability (SE) amongst General practitioner (GP), in finding that all the elements of the original model were strongly represented in the data
In order to provide a more comprehensive reflection on the factors and dynamics found to underpin work ability in this group of GPs, a modification of the WA model was required which entailed the creation of additional subcategories within the model (Appendix)
Summary
Work ability (WA) is an indication of how well someone’s health, skills and experience match current job demands. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the work ability model can provide a useful explanatory framework to understand some elements of sustainable employability (SE) amongst GPs. Australia has a workforce shortage of general practitioners (GPs), in rural and regional areas [1, 2]. Access to continuing professional development (CPD), including procedural upskilling or specialising can be difficult to obtain in areas outside major towns and cities [11]. This is a barrier to sustained interest and challenge for GPs and can, together with issues of unsustainable work demands, lead
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