INTRODUCTION: This article describes the views of European rural general practitioners regarding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the implementation of a chronic care model (CCM) in European rural primary care. METHODS: This was a mixed-methods online survey. Data were collected from 227 general practitioners between May and December 2017. Categorical data were analysed using descriptive methods while free-text responses were analysed using qualitative methods. The setting was rural primary care in nine European countries (including Central and Eastern Europe). Main outcomes measures were respondents' evaluations of a chronic care model in their rural healthcare settings in terms of SWOT. RESULTS: The SWOT analysis showed that the expertise of healthcare professionals and the strength of relationships and communications between professionals, caregivers and patients are positive components of the CCM system. However, ensuring adequate staffing levels and staff competency are issues that would need to be addressed. Opportunities included the need to enable patients to participate in decision making by ensuring adequate health literacy. CONCLUSION: The CCM could certainly have benefits for health care in rural settings but staffing levels and staff competency would need to be addressed before implementation of CCM in such settings. Improving health literacy among patients and their carers will be essential to ensure their full participation in the implementation of a successful CCM.

Centre for Ageing Research Lancaster University Lancaster UK

Centre for Ageing Research Lancaster University Lancaster UK; and Institute of Applied Health Research University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Department of Clinical Sciences Center for Primary Health Care Research Lund University Malm and ouml; Sweden; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Department of Family Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Szeged Szeged Hungary; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Department of Family Medicine Institute of Family Medicine at Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine Kiev Ukraine; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Department of Family Medicine Wroclaw Medical University Wroclaw Poland; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Department of Medical Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences University of Beira Interior Covilh and atilde; Portugal; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Faculty of Public Health Slovak Medical University Bratislava Slovakia; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

General Practice Department Faculty of Medicine Universit and eacute; Grenoble Alpes Grenoble France; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Institute of Health Sciences University of Opole Poland

Medical Faculty of Hradec Kr and aacute;lov and eacute; Charles University Hradec Kr and aacute;lov and eacute; Czech Republic; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

Romanian National Society of Family Medicine Bucharest Romania; Department of Family Medicine University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova Romania; and European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association

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