Factors associated with plans for early retirement among Ontario family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Higher numbers of family physicians (FPs) stopped practicing or retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsening the family doctor shortage in Canada. Our study objective was to determine which factors were associated with FPs' plans to retire earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We administered two cross-sectional online surveys to Ontario FPs asking whether they were "planning to retire earlier" as a result of the pandemic during the first and third COVID-19 pandemic waves (Apr-Jun 2020 and Mar-Jul 2021). We used logistic regression to determine which factors were associated with early retirement planning, adjusting for age.

RESULTS

The age-adjusted proportion of FP respondents planning to retire earlier was 8.2% (of 393) in the first-wave and 20.5% (of 454) in the third-wave. Planning for earlier retirement during the third-wave was associated with age over 50 years (50-59 years odds ratio (OR) 5.37 (95% confidence interval (CI):2.33-12.31), 60 years and above OR 4.18 (95% CI: 1.90-10.23)), having difficulty handling increased non-clinical responsibilities (OR 2.95 (95% CI: 1.79-4.94)), feeling unsupported to work virtually (OR 1.96 (95% CI: 1.19-3.23)) or in-person (OR 2.70 (95% CI: 1.67-4.55)), feeling unable to provide good care (OR 1.82 (95% CI: 1.10-3.03)), feeling work was not valued (OR 1.92 (95% CI: 1.15-3.23)), feeling frightened of dealing with COVID-19 (OR 2.01 (95% CI: 1.19-3.38)), caring for an elderly relative (OR 2.36 (95% CI: 1.69-3.97)), having difficulty obtaining personal protective equipment (OR 2.00 (95% CI: 1.16-3.43)) or difficulty implementing infection control practices in clinic (OR 2.10 (95% CI: 1.12-3.89)).

CONCLUSIONS

Over 20% of Ontario FP respondents were considering retiring earlier by the third-wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting FPs in their clinical and non-clinical roles, such that they feel able to provide good care and that their work is valued, reducing non-clinical (e.g., administrative) responsibilities, dealing with pandemic-related fears, and supporting infection control practices and personal protective equipment acquisition in clinic, particularly in those aged 50 years or older may help increase family physician retention during future pandemics.

About half of Ethiopian midwifery professionals reported being dissatisfied with their jobs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Increasing well qualified health professionals is a part of sustainable development goal to specially to decrease maternal mortality below 70 per 100,000 deaths. Contrarily, The Nursing and midwifery councils (NMC) expect that 36% of healthcare workers, especially midwives, are leaving their jobs due to high turnover rates and job unhappiness worldwide.

Methods

Studies were rigorously searched utilizing international databases from PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Embase. Using the New Castle Ottawa scale for a cross-sectional study design, the quality of the articles that were searched was evaluated. The systemic review was conducted using the random effect approach, and statistical analysis was done using STATA version 17 software for the window. The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed for reporting results.

Results

A total of nine observational cross-sectional studies were included in this review. The pooled level of job satisfaction among midwives in Ethiopia was 52.2% (95% CI =41.7, 62.9). The pooled odds ratio showed that a significant positive association was found between midwives' job satisfaction and studied variables. Male midwife (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.87), fair supervision (OR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.58-1), workload (OR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.102-2.43) and motivation (OR = 1.64; 95%CI: 1.02-2.25) were strongly associated with job satisfaction.

Conclusion

Evidence suggested that motivating employees, providing fair supervision, fair workloads, and fostering positive relationships with managers are all crucial tactics for retaining and enhancing the satisfaction of health professionals at health care facilities in Ethiopian.

The effects of depression and chronic diseases on the work outcomes of employees: a prospective study in Northwest China

A prospective cohort study was conducted to examine the impact of physical and mental health status on the job loss and job turnover rates in Northwestern China. There were 1778 employees included in the baseline survey at April 2006 and were followed-up in October 2006. They were classified into four groups: those with chronic diseases (n = 205), depression (n = 273), both chronic diseases and depression (n = 96), and a control group (n = 1204). Logistic regression was used to examine the impact of depression and chronic diseases on employment between the baseline and the 6-month follow-up interviews. The results of the analyses showed that participants suffering from depression were more likely to be unemployed (OR, 1.44; P < 0.05), recently changed jobs (OR, 3.28, P < 0.001) and earning a lower salary (B = -135.28RMB, P < 0.001). Depression accompanying chronic diseases had an increased risk of unemployment (OR, 2.05; P < 0.01). The participants with chronic diseases were more likely to change their jobs (OR, 2.53; P < 0.05), but this had no significant impact on unemployment and monthly salary. Overall, the findings suggest that people with depression were at a higher risk of unemployment and job turnover than people with chronic disease.