Job satisfaction of foreign-national physicians working in patient care: a cross-sectional study in Saxony, Germany

Background: Physician migration is gaining attention worldwide. Despite increasing numbers of foreign physicians in Germany, their perceptions on working in Germany remain unexplored. Within a large survey on Saxon physicians, the aim of this study was to elucidate whether foreign-national physicians’ job satisfaction differed from German physicians'' job satisfaction. Methods: The study was designed as a comprehensive cross-sectional survey. All physicians ≤40 years and registered with the State Chamber of Physicians of Saxony (n = 5956) were mailed a paper-pencil questionnaire, of which 2357 were returned (response rate = 40 %). Questionnaires addressed socio demographics and assessed job satisfaction by asking participants to rate their satisfaction with the overall job situation and 20 different aspects on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very dissatisfied to 5 = very satisfied). Results: Ten percent of participants were foreign-national physicians. The three main countries of origin were the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. Foreign-national physicians were more satisfied with aspects related to patient care, such as "possibility to treat patients as you deem optimal" and "relationship with patients". However, they were less satisfied with aspects related to human relations, such as "work atmosphere", relationship with co-workers, and "social status". Foreign-national physicians were also less satisfied with the aspect "work enjoyment". Conclusions: Further research on determinants promoting foreign-national physicians'' job satisfaction is needed as their professional well-being may influence quality of patient care. Measures teaching cross-cultural competence and awareness may be beneficial for both foreign-national and German physicians

Physician emigration from Germany: insights from a survey in Saxony, Germany

Abstract Background Physician migration has been gaining attention worldwide. In Germany, physician migration became a topic of interest in the context of the discussion about a shortage of physicians, for which one contributing factor may be physicians leaving the country. However, there is a lack of literature on “push” factors causing German physicians to leave. The present study seeks to provide current data in an effort to promote the identification of “push” factors motivating German physicians to emigrate. Methods In a cross-sectional survey, all physicians ≤40 years of age registered with the State Chamber of Physicians of Saxony, Germany (n = 5956) were sent a paper-pencil questionnaire examining socio-demographics, job satisfaction, the wish to emigrate, and the likelihood of moving abroad in the near future. Variables associated with the wish to emigrate were assessed with multivariate logistic regression models. Results Approximately 30% of participants wished to emigrate. The favourite destination countries were Switzerland, Scandinavian countries, and Australia or New Zealand. Of participants wishing to emigrate, approximately 52% thought it likely to emigrate for a limited, and 15% for an unlimited period of time. Participants with the wish to emigrate were significantly less satisfied with their job situation as compared to physicians without the wish to emigrate, the one exception being their “relationship with patients”. The three aspects with the highest difference in satisfaction were the overall work situation, followed by work load, and time for family, friends, and leisure activities. Being a woman, being in a relationship, and having children were associated with a lower chance for wishing to emigrate. Higher satisfaction with the factors “work load”, “patient care”, and “structural aspects” was also associated with a lower chance for wishing to emigrate. Conclusions Emigration seems to be a viable option for at least a subset of physicians. Preventive measures should address modifiable determinants associated with an increased chance for wishing to emigrate, such as job satisfaction. Especially satisfaction with the factor “work load” seems to play a crucial role as a “push” factor for physician emigration

Legislative Documents

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Additional file 1: of Physician emigration from Germany: insights from a survey in Saxony, Germany

“English version of the questionnaire” Please see “Methods”-section, paragraph on “Questionnaire and instruments”: … an English language version of the questionnaire can be found as an additional file. Note that the English version has not been validated and translation did not follow standardized translation procedures. It is solely provided for the purpose of better illustrating the acquisition of data in this study. (DOC 88 kb