Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural coaching in improving the well-being and retention of rural general practitioners

Objective To determine the relationship between cognitive behavioural coaching, the well-being of rural general practitioners (GPs), their intentions to leave and actual leaving of rural general practice. Design Quasi-experimental study utilising an intervention group of rural GPs and deidentified data for a baseline group and a control group consisting of the remaining population of rural GPs in South Australia. Setting Rural general practice. Participants Rural GPs in South Australia: intervention group (n=69), baseline group (n=205) and control group (n=312). Interventions A 9-hour cognitive behavioural coaching program. Main outcome measure(s) Rural doctor distress, intention to leave rural general practice and actual retention rate of rural GPs. Results GPs who underwent cognitive behavioural coaching had lower rural doctor distress scores (mean=24.50; confidence interval, 21.71-27.29) than the baseline group (mean=28.63; confidence interval, 27.08-30.17). Before coaching, 81% of rural GPs in the intervention group had considered leaving general practice, which reduced to 40% after coaching (2(2)=16.31, P<.001 over a period of the coaching group remained in general practice compared with control p="0.027)." conclusions cognitive behavioural reduced stress levels rural gps who self-identified need for managing and their intention to leave practice. further despite initially being more stressed population from>