Hoofd onderzoeksafdeling Organisatie en Sturing in de Zorg; programmaleider Zorgstelsel en Sturing; bijzonder hoogleraar Zorgstelsel en Sturing CAPHRI, Universiteit Maastricht
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Part-time and full-time medical specialists, are there differences in allocation of time and production?
Jong, J.D. de, Heiligers, P., Groenewegen, P.P., Hingstman, L. Part-time and full-time medical specialists, are there differences in allocation of time and production? European Journal of Public Health: 2005, 15(Suppl. 1), p. 141. Abstract. 13th Annual EUPHA Meeting "Promoting the public's health: reorienting health policies, linking health promotion and health care", Graz, 10-12 November 2005.
Background: An increasing number of medical specialists prefer to work parttime. This development
can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine
include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and
continuity of care. People tend to think that physicians working part-time are less devoted to their
work, implying that a greater number of tasks are completed by full-time physicians. The questions
addressed in this study are whether part-time medical specialists allocate theirtime differently to
their tasks than full-time medical specialists and whether there are differences in production
between partnerships with and without part-time specialists. Methods: A first questionnaire was sent
by mail to all internists (N = 817), surgeons (N = 693) and radiologists (N = 621) working in
general hospitals in The Netherlands. Questions were asked about the actual situation, such as hours
worked and night and weekend shifts. The response was 53% (n = 411) for internists, 52% (n = 359)
for surgeons, and 36% (n = 213) for radiologists. A second questionnaire was sent by mail to
partnerships of internists (N = 118), partnerships of surgeons, (N=109) and partnerships of
radiologists (N=120). Questions were asked about production. The response was 36% (n = 42) for
partnerships of internists, 41% (n = 45) for partnerships of surgeons, and 28% (n = 33) for
partnerships of radiologists. Multilevel analyses were used to analyse most of the data. Results:
For none of the medical specialties in this study did we find that part-time medical specialists
spend more time on direct patient care. With respect to night and weekend shifts we found that
part-time medical specialists account for proportionally more or an equal share of these shifts. The
number of hours worked per FTE is higher for part-time than for full-time medical specialists,
although this difference is only significant for surgeons. Only for part-time working radiologists
the number of hours worked per FTE is higher when the percentage of full-time medical specialists in
the partnership is higher. Preliminary results with respect to production show no difference between
partnerships withand without part-time working specialists. Conclusions: In general, part-time
medical specialists do their share of the job. However, there is an important consequence of
part-time work: more medical specialists are needed to get the work done. Therefore, a greater
number of medical specialists have to be trained. Part-time work is not only a female concern; there
are also (international) trends for male medical specialists which show a decline in the number of
hours worked. This indicates an overall change in attitude towards the number of hours medical
specialists should work. (aut.ref.)
can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine
include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and
continuity of care. People tend to think that physicians working part-time are less devoted to their
work, implying that a greater number of tasks are completed by full-time physicians. The questions
addressed in this study are whether part-time medical specialists allocate theirtime differently to
their tasks than full-time medical specialists and whether there are differences in production
between partnerships with and without part-time specialists. Methods: A first questionnaire was sent
by mail to all internists (N = 817), surgeons (N = 693) and radiologists (N = 621) working in
general hospitals in The Netherlands. Questions were asked about the actual situation, such as hours
worked and night and weekend shifts. The response was 53% (n = 411) for internists, 52% (n = 359)
for surgeons, and 36% (n = 213) for radiologists. A second questionnaire was sent by mail to
partnerships of internists (N = 118), partnerships of surgeons, (N=109) and partnerships of
radiologists (N=120). Questions were asked about production. The response was 36% (n = 42) for
partnerships of internists, 41% (n = 45) for partnerships of surgeons, and 28% (n = 33) for
partnerships of radiologists. Multilevel analyses were used to analyse most of the data. Results:
For none of the medical specialties in this study did we find that part-time medical specialists
spend more time on direct patient care. With respect to night and weekend shifts we found that
part-time medical specialists account for proportionally more or an equal share of these shifts. The
number of hours worked per FTE is higher for part-time than for full-time medical specialists,
although this difference is only significant for surgeons. Only for part-time working radiologists
the number of hours worked per FTE is higher when the percentage of full-time medical specialists in
the partnership is higher. Preliminary results with respect to production show no difference between
partnerships withand without part-time working specialists. Conclusions: In general, part-time
medical specialists do their share of the job. However, there is an important consequence of
part-time work: more medical specialists are needed to get the work done. Therefore, a greater
number of medical specialists have to be trained. Part-time work is not only a female concern; there
are also (international) trends for male medical specialists which show a decline in the number of
hours worked. This indicates an overall change in attitude towards the number of hours medical
specialists should work. (aut.ref.)
Background: An increasing number of medical specialists prefer to work parttime. This development
can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine
include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and
continuity of care. People tend to think that physicians working part-time are less devoted to their
work, implying that a greater number of tasks are completed by full-time physicians. The questions
addressed in this study are whether part-time medical specialists allocate theirtime differently to
their tasks than full-time medical specialists and whether there are differences in production
between partnerships with and without part-time specialists. Methods: A first questionnaire was sent
by mail to all internists (N = 817), surgeons (N = 693) and radiologists (N = 621) working in
general hospitals in The Netherlands. Questions were asked about the actual situation, such as hours
worked and night and weekend shifts. The response was 53% (n = 411) for internists, 52% (n = 359)
for surgeons, and 36% (n = 213) for radiologists. A second questionnaire was sent by mail to
partnerships of internists (N = 118), partnerships of surgeons, (N=109) and partnerships of
radiologists (N=120). Questions were asked about production. The response was 36% (n = 42) for
partnerships of internists, 41% (n = 45) for partnerships of surgeons, and 28% (n = 33) for
partnerships of radiologists. Multilevel analyses were used to analyse most of the data. Results:
For none of the medical specialties in this study did we find that part-time medical specialists
spend more time on direct patient care. With respect to night and weekend shifts we found that
part-time medical specialists account for proportionally more or an equal share of these shifts. The
number of hours worked per FTE is higher for part-time than for full-time medical specialists,
although this difference is only significant for surgeons. Only for part-time working radiologists
the number of hours worked per FTE is higher when the percentage of full-time medical specialists in
the partnership is higher. Preliminary results with respect to production show no difference between
partnerships withand without part-time working specialists. Conclusions: In general, part-time
medical specialists do their share of the job. However, there is an important consequence of
part-time work: more medical specialists are needed to get the work done. Therefore, a greater
number of medical specialists have to be trained. Part-time work is not only a female concern; there
are also (international) trends for male medical specialists which show a decline in the number of
hours worked. This indicates an overall change in attitude towards the number of hours medical
specialists should work. (aut.ref.)
can be found worldwide. Problems to be faced in the realization of part-time work in medicine
include the division of night and weekend shifts, as well as communication between physicians and
continuity of care. People tend to think that physicians working part-time are less devoted to their
work, implying that a greater number of tasks are completed by full-time physicians. The questions
addressed in this study are whether part-time medical specialists allocate theirtime differently to
their tasks than full-time medical specialists and whether there are differences in production
between partnerships with and without part-time specialists. Methods: A first questionnaire was sent
by mail to all internists (N = 817), surgeons (N = 693) and radiologists (N = 621) working in
general hospitals in The Netherlands. Questions were asked about the actual situation, such as hours
worked and night and weekend shifts. The response was 53% (n = 411) for internists, 52% (n = 359)
for surgeons, and 36% (n = 213) for radiologists. A second questionnaire was sent by mail to
partnerships of internists (N = 118), partnerships of surgeons, (N=109) and partnerships of
radiologists (N=120). Questions were asked about production. The response was 36% (n = 42) for
partnerships of internists, 41% (n = 45) for partnerships of surgeons, and 28% (n = 33) for
partnerships of radiologists. Multilevel analyses were used to analyse most of the data. Results:
For none of the medical specialties in this study did we find that part-time medical specialists
spend more time on direct patient care. With respect to night and weekend shifts we found that
part-time medical specialists account for proportionally more or an equal share of these shifts. The
number of hours worked per FTE is higher for part-time than for full-time medical specialists,
although this difference is only significant for surgeons. Only for part-time working radiologists
the number of hours worked per FTE is higher when the percentage of full-time medical specialists in
the partnership is higher. Preliminary results with respect to production show no difference between
partnerships withand without part-time working specialists. Conclusions: In general, part-time
medical specialists do their share of the job. However, there is an important consequence of
part-time work: more medical specialists are needed to get the work done. Therefore, a greater
number of medical specialists have to be trained. Part-time work is not only a female concern; there
are also (international) trends for male medical specialists which show a decline in the number of
hours worked. This indicates an overall change in attitude towards the number of hours medical
specialists should work. (aut.ref.)
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