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Technology, Job Satisfaction, and Retention: Rural Mental Health Practitioners
Author(s) -
Meyer Deborah
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.439
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1748-0361
pISSN - 0890-765X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2006.00025.x
Subject(s) - job satisfaction , context (archaeology) , mental health , the internet , internet access , job attitude , information technology , psychology , nursing , marketing , business , public relations , medical education , medicine , job performance , social psychology , political science , psychiatry , computer science , law , paleontology , world wide web , biology
Context: Job satisfaction as it relates to retention of mental health professionals is a major problem in rural areas. Several authors have suggested that technology can positively influence job satisfaction and thus improve retention. Objectives: This study examined technology use and technology expertise in relationship to job satisfaction. It is based on a theoretical framework that asserts as technology use increases, communication among providers and access to educational and consultative resources increase as well, resulting in a boost in professional support and a reduction in isolation. Methods: Surveys were sent to 320 providers in rural southeast Ohio; 163 returned usable surveys. Findings: There was a statistically significant relationship between the combination of technology use and expertise and job satisfaction. Use alone, however, was not significant. Despite the fact that over 90% of respondents had access to both a computer and the Internet, just 45% used technology to communicate with peers and nearly 96% indicated that they never or rarely used the Internet for educational programs. Conclusions: The results challenge the assertion that technology plays a major role in job satisfaction and rural retention since access and perceived expertise did not guarantee technology usage. Decisions to stay or leave a rural practice involve a complex array of factors. Technology, with its ability to link providers to resources outside the geographic bounds of an individual's practice, may play a role, but since its adoption can be costly in both time and money, future studies need to determine its place in the retention model.