General practice workforce retention strategies: an umbrella review

ObjectiveWe summarise international evidence of interventions to support retention of the general practice workforce, mapping evidence by country, method and workforce group. DesignUmbrella overview of reviews. We mapped evidence according to occupational group, intervention type and outcome to identify trends and gaps. SettingInternational primary care and general practice. ParticipantsGeneral practice workforce, with studies grouped by general practitioners, nurse practitioners and mixed health professional. Main outcome measuresWorkforce retention, including length of employment, stability rates, settlement rates, vacancy rates, unfilled positions, turnover numbers or rates, attrition rates, intentions to stay, leave and return. ResultsOf the 3449 articles identified through database searching and citation tracking, we included 12 reviews. There was a general lack of policy evaluations in some fields and low geographical spread beyond Australia and the US. While stronger evidence exists for interventions such as professional development and fostering supportive environments, mixed findings were reported on financial incentives and limited formal evaluations were found for some intervention types, and professional groups. ConclusionThis overview of research underscores the need for more research evaluating interventions to support the general practice workforce, particularly across wider international settings.