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Factors relating to doctors' desire to change hospitals in Japan

Ken Kato (Department of Medical Information and Management Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan and Aichi Medical Association Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. Ken Kato is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: tokatok@gmail.com)
Kazunobu Yamauchi (The Faculty of Medical Management and Information Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan and Department of Medical Information and Management Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Makoto Miyaji (Aichi Medical Association Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan and Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Nakako Fujiwara (Graduate School of Nursing and Health Nagoya, Aichi Prefectural University, Japan and Aichi Medical Association Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Kimiko Katsuyama (School of Nursing, Osaka Prefecture University, Habikino, Osaka, Japan and Aichi Medical Association Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Hiroshi Amano (Aichi Shinshiro Otani University, Shinshiro, Aichi, Japan and Aichi Medical Association Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Santaro Kobayashi (Aichi Shukutoku University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan and Aichi Medical Association Research Institute, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Michio Naito (The Faculty of Medical Management and Information Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan and Aichi Medical Association Research Institute Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Yasunori Maki (Aichi Medical Association, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Hirohisa Kawahara (Aichi Medical Association, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Mitsuaki Maseki (Aichi Medical Association, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)
Yoshio Senoo (Aichi Medical Association, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

ISSN: 0952-6862

Article publication date: 6 January 2012

741

Abstract

Purpose

This study seeks to investigate doctors' desire to change the hospital where they work to sustain higher quality care.

Design/methodology/approach

Self‐administered questionnaires were sent to doctors in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Data were analyzed using univariate and logistic regression analysis and recursive partitioning.

Findings

Factors related to doctors' desire to change hospitals, according to logistic regression, were interaction between working hours and satisfaction with the hospital, evaluation, local government hospitals versus private ones, small vs large hospitals, ophthalmology versus internal medicine, desire to continue working as a hospital doctor and age. Additionally, working hours were also found to be related, based on recursive partitioning.

Research limitations/implications

The response rate was low and sampling bias was observed – therefore results need careful interpretation. Also, because this was a cross‐sectional study, causal relationships could not be identified. Desire to change hospitals, but not actual behavior, was measured.

Practical implications

Efforts to prevent doctors from changing hospitals should include considering job satisfaction and workload, doctor evaluation methods, support for career progression and organizational management.

Originality/value

As the hospital doctor shortage in rural areas becomes more serious, exploring doctors' desire to leave their current hospital is meaningful for Japanese hospital managers and hospitals worldwide aiming to provide sustainable and higher quality care.

Keywords

Citation

Kato, K., Yamauchi, K., Miyaji, M., Fujiwara, N., Katsuyama, K., Amano, H., Kobayashi, S., Naito, M., Maki, Y., Kawahara, H., Maseki, M. and Senoo, Y. (2012), "Factors relating to doctors' desire to change hospitals in Japan", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 19-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526861211192386

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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