De werkbelasting van huisartsen in internationaal perspectief

Abstract: Schäfer WLA, van den Berg MJ, Groenewegen PP. Workload of Dutch general practitioners from an international perspective. Huisarts Wet 2016;59(3):94-101. Background: Relatively more patients are listed with a GP in the Netherlands than in other countries. Moreover, the central role of GPs as gatekeeper to health care has been given more emphasis in recent years. This, together with the tasks, duties, and organization of practices, is probably reflected in the workload of GPs. We investigated the workload of Dutch GPs relative to that of GPs working in 33 countries. Method: In total, 7183 GPs in 34 countries, namely the 28 EU counties (excepting France and Croatia), Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, completed a questionnaire. There were roughly 220 respondents per country, with about 75 in the four smaller countries. Data collection occurred between October 2011 and December 2013. Results: Of the European countries in which patients are listed by name, the Netherlands has the largest number per GP. Moreover, Dutch GPs work relatively more hours than GPs in most other countries, with the exception of GPs working in Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, who have a longer workweek. While Dutch GPs spend roughly the same number of hours on direct patient care as their foreign colleagues, they spend more time on other duties and the mean consultation time is relatively short. The number of home visits is relatively high in the Netherlands and nearly all Dutch GPs provide out-of-hours services. Satisfaction with work is higher than average among Dutch GPs, possibly because they experience little stress at work, although they are less satisfied about the time spent on administrative activities. Conclusion: Dutch GPs have a high workload compared with GPs in other countries, possibly as a result of the way practices are organized and the broad range of duties they have. It is important to investigate whether the workload influences the quality of care experienced by the patient.