Begint het huisartsentekort bij de opleiding?

Abstract

The family physician shortage: does it start at the university? Well-developed primary care results in a better preventive healthcare, cost-reduction and better health outcomes. Despite this importance, there is a growing shortage of family physicians in Belgium and internationally. A promising approach is to increase the number of entry-level students in advanced training to become family physicians. This study used a mixed-methods design. The quantitative component included an exploratory questionnaire administered to medical students from all years at Flemish universities. In the qualitative part, focus group discussions with master students went deeper into the different influencing factors. The results were compiled in the final phase. For statistical analysis, 423 completed questionnaires were included. Interest in long-term relationships with patients, conducting psychological interviews, commitment to prevention, a shorter training time, flexible working hours, a higher year of study and constancy in the choice of family medicine explain 68.7% of the choice of family medicine after multivariate analysis. Students from the focus group interviews (n = 26) cite similar elements. Only 1/5 of medical students completely rule out family medicine. The following recommendations are formulated for Flemish universities to increase the interest in family medicine: involve more family physicians in basic training, organise compulsory internships in general medicine and provide sufficient information regarding advanced training.