Identifying challenges and opportunities of practicing in rural areas of Fars province from the perspective of family physicians: a qualitative study.

Abstract

One of the major challenges of the rural family medicine program is the retention of doctors in rural areas, which is significantly influenced by their experience of living in these regions. This study aims to explore physicians' experiences regarding the challenges and opportunities of living in rural areas. This qualitative study was conducted in 2024 in Fars Province. Sixteen physicians were selected using purposive sampling until data saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis method. Data management was carried out using MAXQDA software, version 20. Lincoln and Guba's trustworthiness criteria were applied to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. Nine main challenge themes and three main opportunity themes were identified, including financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, professional isolation, family-related barriers, inadequate incentives, poor living conditions, security concerns, cultural differences, and limited career growth as challenges, and strong patient-physician relationships, lower living costs, and gaining comprehensive primary care experience as opportunities. Addressing these challenges while leveraging the identified opportunities provides policymakers with practical implications for designing effective strategies to retain family physicians in rural areas of Iran.