Barriers and facilitators to women general practitioners career progression, a systematic review

ObjectiveTo identify barriers and facilitators to women GPs career progression. DesignSystematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. SettingStudies conducted in the UK NHS general practice setting. ParticipantsGeneral practitioners. Main outcome measuresBarriers and facilitators mapped thematically to the COM-B model, including Capability, Opportunity and Motivation as influencers of Behaviour. Results21 articles were included in this review, with varied study designs. No relevant intervention studies were identified. There was a lack of recent research evidence; over half were conducted over 20 years ago. Most studies met quality criteria, though there were some problems with reporting and adjustment for potential confounders. Barriers at personal, socio-cultural and system levels were found that inhibit women GPs career progression. While some positive changes have been documented across studies that span some thirty years, many challenges remain. ConclusionDespite general practice being one of the more female-dominated medical specialties, barriers at personal, socio-cultural and system levels continue to inhibit women GPs careers. The COM-B model of behaviour change was used to group thematic findings according to the barriers women may face in terms of their capabilities, opportunities and motivations and identify potential policies that could be evaluated as options to support women GPs career progression.