Evaluation of a novel salaried medical officer position on service provision and performance at a rural health service: An exploratory mixed-methods study

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a new salaried medical officer position on health service provision and organisational performance.

Design: Health service staff were invited to complete a survey to ascertain their overall satisfaction with the salaried medical officer position and impact on their workflow. Purposive sampling identified respondents for interviews to further explore the experiences of health service staff. Financial, administrative and quality information was extracted for analysis.

Setting: Medium size rural health service in Victoria, Australia.

Participants: All general practitioner, nursing and allied health staff employed by, or who provide services to, the health service.

Main outcome measures: Satisfaction with the salaried medical officer position, ability to address patient concerns, themes from interviews, organisational performance data.

Results: Forty surveys (general practitioner, nursing and allied health) were returned and 10 interviews completed. The mean rating for satisfaction with the salaried medical officer position was 8.4 out of 10. Addressing patient care concerns was rated significantly easier by nursing and allied health staff when the salaried medical officer was working. The interviews identified three broad themes: improved efficiency, increased accessibility and eliminated service gaps.

Conclusion: Health service staff reported that a salaried medical officer position at a rural health service improved work efficiency, increased accessibility to timely medical advice and improved quality of care, particularly patients at risk of sudden deterioration.

Keywords: general practitioners; health service research; improvement; medical services; service model.