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Australian Journal of Primary Health Australian Journal of Primary Health Society
The issues influencing community health services and primary health care
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Work Stress and Quality of Work Performance in Australian General Practitioners

Helen R. Winefield and Bronwyn M. Veale

Australian Journal of Primary Health 8(2) 59 - 65
Published: 2002

Abstract

The relationship between work stress and work performance has received little empirical attention in professional areas such as health care where measurement of work quality is difficult. In health sciences there is growing concern about work errors, although little is known about the determinants and prevention of these in primary care. This study aimed to explore connections between workload, work stress in terms of burnout, job satisfaction and retirement age intentions, and reported mistakes at work, in general practice. A randomly-selected sample of mid-career General Practitioners (aged 35-45 years) was approached and 86% agreed to participate (N = 30). Satisfaction with work supports was a better predictor of work stress indicators than was workload. There was no evidence of the hypothesised association between work stress and severity of mistakes. Although response biases are a likely threat to the validity of mistakes as a quality indicator, results can be seen as supporting the need for a systems-level analysis of primary care work performance.

https://doi.org/10.1071/PY02028

© La Trobe University 2002

Committee on Publication Ethics


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