Factors influencing general practitioners' installation. Qualitative study in the Sarthe region

Context. Sarthe is one of the French areas with the lowest density of general practitioners. Studies on general practitioners' installation in regional areas are rarely published. Aim. To explore the factors influencing general practitioners' installation in Sarthe. Method. Qualitative study, inspired by grounded theory. Participants were selected by theoretically based sampling from a population of general practitioners in Sarthe who were less than 5 years in practice. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Results. No attractive factors specific to the Sarthe area were identified. The physicians interviewed had mainly chosen to set up practice because they had experienced the Sarthe healthcare network, were constantly looking for security and had found a structure that met their expectations. Conclusion. Sarthe's attractiveness to general practitioners mainly depends on pre-existing social links and on the integration of these professionals into the healthcare environment. Enabling experimentation of the Sarthe healthcare network under favorable conditions, and offering medical structures adapted to general practitioners' expectations, would encourage them to establish themselves in Sarthe.