Job satisfaction in primary care after the health reform in a province of Turkey

OBJECTIVE: Health care reform, which started to be restructured after the Alma Ata Declaration, positively contributed to the development of primary health care administrations around the world. In Turkey, the Ministry of Health launched a "Health Transformation Program" by initiating the "Family Medicine Model" that influenced the working conditions and job satisfaction of primary health care workers (PHCWs). In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated job satisfaction levels of PHCWs and the factors affecting these levels a decade after the introduction of the health care reform in a province of Turkey. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 223 PHCWs participated in the study and completed a structured questionnaire that probed their views regarding their jobs and working conditions. Additionally, the short version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was administered to each participant. Participants were also asked to indicate whether they had any intention to quit their job, whether they liked their profession and workplace, and whether they were satisfied with their job. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to determine predictors of job satisfaction. RESULTS: PHCWs were found to be generally dissatisfied with their working conditions and they declared that they were not sufficiently qualified to work in primary care. Their overall satisfaction was found to be moderate (3.21 +/- 0.67 out of 5) and the most important predictor for job satisfaction was found to be "Liking the workplace" (OR=3.07; 95% CI=1.46-6.45). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that environmental factors for job-related issues need to be examined more intensively for future planning and policy making in primary care.