Health system reforms, violence against doctors and job satisfaction in the medical profession: a cross-sectional survey in Zhejiang Province, Eastern China

Abstract

ObjectiveTo explore the factors influencing doctors’ job satisfaction and morale in China, in the context of the ongoing health system reforms and the deteriorating doctor–patient relationship.DesignCross-sectional survey using self-completion questionnaires.Study settingThe survey was conducted from March to May 2012 among doctors at the provincial, county and primary care levels in Zhejiang Province, China.ResultsThe questionnaire was completed by 202 doctors. Factors which contributed most to low job satisfaction were low income and long working hours. Provincial level doctors were most dissatisfied while primary care doctors were the least dissatisfied. Three per cent of doctors at high-level hospitals and 27% of those in primary care were satisfied with the salary. Only 7% at high-level hospitals were satisfied with the work hours, compared to 43% in primary care. Less than 10% at high levels were satisfied with the amount of paid vacation time (3%) and paid sick leave (5%), compared with 38% and 41%, respectively, in primary care. Overall, 87% reported that patients were more likely to sue and that patient violence against doctors was increasing. Only 4.5% wanted their children to be doctors. Of those 125 who provided a reason, 34% said poor pay, 17% said it was a high-risk profession, and 9% expressed concerns about personal insecurity or patient violence.ConclusionsDoctors have low job satisfaction overall. Recruitment and retention of doctors have become major challenges for the Chinese health system. Measures must be taken to address this, in order to ensure recruitment and retention of doctors in the future. These measures must first include reduction of doctors’ workload, especially at provincial hospitals, partly through incentivisation of appropriate utilisation of primary care, increase in doctors’ salary and more effective measures to tackle patient violence against doctors.

Predicators of Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction of Medical Workers With Their Work in Medical Institution

“…According to the data of Wu D et al the most important factors of the negative influence of doctors' satisfaction are the low incomes and duration of working day. Only 30,0 % of Chinese doctors were satisfied with their salary and 50,0 % of doctors -with duration of their working day [8]. This idea is also shared by Atif K et al that also established the negative influence of salary on the satisfaction with work [21].…”

“…The aforesaid testifies to the doctors' dissatisfaction with their profession, to their disillusion. The analogous dissatisfaction was determined also among Chinese doctors [8]. According to the data of Wu D. et al, in China only 4,5 % want their children to become doctors [8].…”

“…Thus in China 53,7 % of medical workers are satisfied with their work [7]. But only 3 % of doctors in hospitals and 27 % of doctors of primary medical care in China are satisfied with salary [8]. In Tanzania 73,9 % of medical workers are satisfied with their work but only 11,6 % among them are satisfied with their salary [9].…”

Antibiotic misuse among university students in developed and less developed regions of China: a cross-sectional survey

“…Compared with more developed regions, healthcare providers in less developed regions had lower incomes, experienced relaxed regulations, and were more likely to profit from overprescribing antibiotics [7,15,20]. Our findings also indicated that, even when doctors were initially unwilling to prescribe antibiotics, more students pressured doctors to prescribe antibiotics in less developed regions compared to developed regions [16,21]. …”

CORR ® International—Asia-Pacific: How To Live a Happy Life as an Orthopaedic Surgeon

“…thresholds, unrealistic preoperative expectations, and psychological disorders [1,4]. Recent studies [10,13] reveal that orthopaedic surgeons in China have experienced psychological and even physical threats by patients or family members, suggesting perhaps that it is more challenging to establish a healthy doctor-patient relationship in Asia than in other countries.…”