Women family physicians' personal experiences in the republic of Moldova

Abstract

Background: As part of the former Soviet Union, the Moldovan health system was highly centralized and geared toward inpatient care. The objective of this study was to explore the personal experiences of female family physicians in Chişinǎu, Moldova. Methods: A purposeful sample of female family physicians was recruited to participate in this study. A professional translator conducted in-depth interviews using an 8-item semistructured questionnaire to capture personal practice experiences, scope of practice, and beliefs. Verbatim responses were summarized using a continuous iterative process. Results: Twenty female family physicians (mean age, 42.4 ± 7.2 years; mean clinical experience, 12.2 ± 7.9 years) were included in the sample. Analysis of the data illuminated 4 key themes: (1) family medicine, as a specialty, offered much diversity and personal satisfaction; (2) appointment time restraints and paperwork demands posed significant challenges to providing care to patients; (3) problems faced by patients were complex and went far beyond the leading causes of morbidity and mortality; and (4) patients generally have a limited amount of health-related knowledge, but increased access to health information was bridging this gap. Conclusion: Although family medicine is a rewarding career, system-related factors posed significant challenges, not only in providing quality care but in day-to-day satisfaction.