Abstract
BackgroundThe availability of medical human resource supply is a growing concern for rural and remote communities in many countries. In the last decade, various telehealth experiences in Canada have highlighted the potential impact of this technology on professional practice. The purpose of this study was to explore physicians' and managers' perceptions regarding the potential of telehealth to support recruitment and retention of physicians in remote and rural regions.MethodsA case study in Eastern Quebec was performed to explore this complex phenomenon. The analytical framework was based on two literature reviews and a Delphi study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 41 physicians and 22 managers. Transcripts were produced and interview content was coded independently by two judges and validated by an expert panel.ResultsInterviews have highlighted the potential impact of telehealth on several factors influencing the recruitment and retention of physicians in rural and remote regions. The potential effects of telehealth on physicians' choice of practice location could be seen at the professional, organizational, educational and individual levels. For instance, telehealth could improve work satisfaction by allowing a regional on-call duty system and a better follow-up of patients. However, there are also certain limits related to telehealth, such as the fear that it would eventually replace all continuing medical education activities and onsite specialists in remoteregions.ConclusionTelehealth is likely to have an impact on several factors related to medical workforce supply in remote and rural regions. However, the expected benefits will materialize if and only if this technology is properly integrated into organizations as a support to professional practice.
Highlights
The availability of medical human resource supply is a growing concern for rural and remote communities in many countries
This article reports on a qualitative study that was conducted in four remote regions of Eastern Quebec to explore physicians and managers' perceptions regarding the potential of telehealth to support recruitment and retention of physicians in remote and rural regions
A set of professional, organizational, educational and individual factors related to medical workforce supply in remote and rural regions
Summary
The availability of medical human resource supply is a growing concern for rural and remote communities in many countries. Physician supply in several rural and remote regions and shortages in certain medical specialties are problematic in Canada [1]. The recent National Physician Survey [2] shows that physician shortage limits access to health care, especially in rural and remote areas and small cities. This situation is of major concern for decision-makers as well as the general population [3,4]. The training, planning and distribution of health care workforce is a top priority for health services research in Canada [6]
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