Professional, personal and community: 3 domains of physician retention in rural communities.

Introduction: We sought to explore the professional, personal and community domains of physician retention in 4 rural communities in Alberta and to develop a preliminary framework for physician retention.

Methods: We used a qualitative, collective case study design to study 4 rural communities (cases) in Alberta that retained family physicians for 4 years or longer. Participants included physicians, staff members, spouses and community members.

Physician retention in rural Alberta: key community factors.

Objectives: As part of a larger case study exploring physician retention factors and strategies employed by rural communities, the objective of this analysis was to explore the community factors that promoted physician retention.

Methods: A qualitative, collective case study design was employed to study four rural communities (cases) in Alberta that retained family physicians for four years or longer. Participants included physicians, staff members, spouses and community members (all were patients from the communities studied).