The effect of price on the consumers' perception of physicians

This attitudinal study indicates that consumers do not perceive a price-quality association for physician services. However, existing patients of physicians, if satisfied, are willing to pay more for their physician's services. Thus, physicians looking to attract new patients may find a high price strategy to be no more ineffective than a parity pricing strategy. But physicians with existing 'satisfied' patients may be able to increase their professional fees without having a major attrition of patients or suffering a loss in patient satisfaction.