A snap-shot of attrition from the osteopathy profession in Australia

ObjectivesAttrition from health professions is of importance to a wide range of stakeholders. Substantial financial and human resources are used to develop and maintain a health workforce. Therefore, attrition from the health professions may represent a waste of these resources for the public, educators, and the practitioner. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influenced the decision to leave practice.Setting & participantsOsteopathy Australia (formerly Australian Osteopathic Association) members were sent an email explaining the project and a link to an electronic questionnaire. The majority of osteopaths who received the email were practicing and were requested to forward the email to any colleagues or friends they personally knew who were no longer practicing (snowball sampling).Design & methodsA retrospective quantitative electronic survey was used to gather information regarding demographics, financial aspects and work hours. Likert-type scales were employed to evaluate respondent perceptions across health, lifestyle, financial and other factor, and their potential relationship with the decision to leave practice.ResultsComplete responses were received from 29 osteopaths who were no longer practising. Factors identified by respondents for ceasing practice included family commitments (20%), dissatisfaction with osteopathic practice (20%), and boredom with osteopathic practice (20%).ConclusionMultiple factors were identified by respondents indicating that the reasons for leaving the profession are complex, multi-factorial, and often unique to the individual. Results from the present study suggest further research is required to identify practitioners who may be more likely to leave the profession, and develop strategies to retain their skills and knowledge.