Introduction: Rural physician engagement in continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities is vital to improving quality of care, patient safety, and healthcare delivery efficiencies. However, there is a lack of evidence surrounding the barriers and facilitators to CQI uptake across rural medical practices. This study aimed to explore enablers and barriers to CQI implementation and identify ways to foster greater engagement of rural physicians.
Methods: A mixed-methods triangulation study design was undertaken encompassing a survey and focus group interviews with physicians practising in rural communities of British Columbia, Canada.
Results: The survey was distributed to 1584 rural physicians, and 299 responses were received (response rate of 19%). Seven focus groups were conducted with 33 participants. Survey respondents indicated strong support towards CQI and the benefits of improved patient outcomes and practice quality. Less than half (47%) of respondents had participated in a CQI initiative within the previous 2 years. Key barriers to CQI engagement included time constraints, limited knowledge of CQI principles, and a lack of understanding of accessing and using relevant data. Key motivators for CQI engagement were opportunities for peer collaboration and receiving practice improvement feedback. Key enablers included more usable and accessible data and appropriate staffing resources to assist with undertaking CQI activities.
Conclusion: Given rural physicians' time demands, better support systems are required to enhance rural physician engagement in systematic CQI activities. Specific support areas include dedicated CQI staff resources and better practice data systems and processes to support CQI initiatives.
Keywords: continuous quality improvement; focus group; mixed methods; rural physicians; survey questionnaire; Canada.