Strategies to improve general practitioner well-being: findings from a focus group study

Background: Primary care physicians are particularly prone to high levels of burnout and poor wellbeing. Despite this, no qualitative studies have specifically investigated the best ways to improve wellbeing and prevent burnout in primary care physicians. Previous interventions within primary care have been person-oriented and mainly focused on mindfulness, but there has been no prior research on whether general practitioners (GPs) deem this to be the best approach. Objectives: To explore strategies that could improve GP wellbeing and reduce or prevent burnout, based on GP perceptions of the workplace factors that affect their levels of wellbeing and burnout. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted, with 25 GPs (locums, salaried, trainees, and partners) in the UK, between September 2015 and February 2016. Focus groups took place in GP practices and private meeting rooms. Discussions were centered on the workplace factors that they perceived to influence their wellbeing, along with strategies that they use either personally, or as a practice, to try and prevent burnout. Furthermore, strategies that could feasibly be implemented by individuals and practices to improve wellbeing, as well as changes that are needed by groups or organizations that are external to their practice (e.g. the government) to improve the working conditions, were explored. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcripts. Results: Based on the contributors to burnout and workplace wellbeing that the participants identified, the following feasible strategies were suggested: compulsory daily coffee breaks, increasing self and organizational awareness of the risks of burnout, and mentoring/buddy systems. System-level organizational changes were voiced as vital, however, to improve the wellbeing of all primary care physicians. Increasing resources seemed to be the ideal solution, to allow for more administrative staff and GPs. Conclusion: These strategies merit further consideration by researchers, physicians, healthcare organizations, and policy makers both in the UK and beyond. Failure to do so may result in healthcare staff becoming even more burnt-out, potentially leading to a loss of doctors from the workforce.