Abstract Body

A professional GP is a healthy GP!

Evidence shows that a high level of population health and an efficient high-quality health care system are associated with a strong primary care. Although general practitioners’ (GPs’) workforce is declining all over the world, GPs leaving clinical practice and students not choosing for a career in general practice. Students already show high stress levels not only because of competition and uncertainty but also because of stressors in personal life.

GPs complain about heavy workload, high levels of mental strain, complex case management, difficult expectations of patients and a burden of administrative tasks. This leads to stress and burn-out. Burnout affects practice organisation and quality of patient care. But how strong is this evidence? The concept burnout is not always well-defined in research. Physicians not feeling well are also very vulnerable for drug and alcohol abuse, depression and suicide, but most studies don’t differentiate outcomes in relation with these subgroups.

Research done on positive factors for retention shows the importance of general practice as an academic high scientific discipline with includes clinical reasoning, evidence-based medicine, interprofessional collaboration, high level of practice and communication skills and a strong embedding in the local community. Should the future be the development of Interprofessional primary health care teams, with family medicine as the core discipline? The GP in these teams is a professional and healthy GP, with a high level of self-care, a focus on coping strategies to handle stress and uncertainty, autonomy and leadership in practice organisation and a better supporting network.