Happiness in General Practice: Results of a Qualitative Study Among Physicians and Practice Assistants

BACKGROUND: Well-being of health care professionals is becoming more and more important. Research often focuses on deficits and health impairments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate what contributes to the sense of happiness among family physicians and practice assistants. METHODS: Between April and October 2018, we conducted semi-structured interviews and observations with family physicians and practice assistants in North Rhine-Westphalia. The analyses followed the content-structuring, qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz supported by the software NVivo. RESULTS: We observed in five practices and interviewed eleven family physicians and 15 practice assistants. The core topics were teamwork, relationship to patients, local roots, patient-practice-fit and effectiveness of work. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate conditions conducive to happiness. The findings may inform the development of targed-group-specific behavioural interventions (happiness training) for family physicians and practice assistants. In particular, the team and the relationship to patients should to be addressed.