Balancing an equilibrium act between different positions: An exploratory study on general practitioners' comprehension of their professional role

Objective. There is a call to make the duties and working conditions of the GP more transparent. The aim of this study was to explore practising GPs’ personal experiences of their professional role and what they regard to be its salient characteristics. Design. An exploratory and descriptive study was undertaken by interviewing GPs and by performing a focus-group study of experienced GPs. The interviews were transcribed and analysed, and the text was categorized according to content analysis. Setting. The practice of the interviewed GPs. Subjects. Seven GPs in individual interviews and a focus group of experienced GPs. Results. A major theme, Balancing, was identified. It was derived from a number of opposing concepts to which different features were related. ‘‘The good shepherd’’ versus ‘‘The medical expert’’; ‘‘Curing’’ versus ‘‘Caring’’; ‘‘Short visits’’ versus ‘‘Long consultations’’; ‘‘The personal doctor’’ versus ‘‘The society’s doctor’’. In many consultations the GP has to contemplate how to stay in focus between these diverse roles. Conclusion. General practice requires a balance to be achieved between a number of opposing conditions. In their clinical work GPs have to adjust to and integrate alternative perspectives. Problems of recruiting new GPs might be associated with dilemmas in this balancing act.