Professional activity - How is family physicians' work time changing?

OBJECTIVE To examine hours worked professionally, work preferences, and cha nges in both of these and their correlates. DESIGN Repeated surveys done in 1993 and 1999. SETTING Ontario family practices; PARTICIPANTS Cohort of physicians certified in family medicine between 1989 and 1991 after family medicine residency who were surveyed in 1993 when th ey resided in Ontario. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported hours spent weekly on professional acti vities, desired hours of professional work, and balance between work and ot her activities. RESULTS Fifty-three percent (293) of 553 physicians responded to the 1999 s urvey; 91% had remained family physicians; 85% of these had participated in the 1993 survey. The difference between the hours that family physicians p referred to work professionally and their actual hours of work had increase d since 1993. Childless physicians, women physicians with preschool childre n, and women physicians married to other physicians worked fewer hours prof essionally,than other physicians in 1999. Female physicians and physicians without children worked closer to their preferred hours than other physicia ns. Reporting a preference to work fewer hours professionally in 1993 was l inked with a reduction in professional activities by 1999. CONCLUSION Greater attention should be paid in physician resource planning to the family life cycle of female physicians. Lifestyle changes could lead to a reduction in professional activity among these physicians.