Patient perceptions and preferences when choosing an orthopaedic surgeon

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Healthcare Provider Diversity
• Patient Preferences

Background:

• Patient preferences are crucial for diversifying healthcare providers.
• Limited information exists on how patients select orthopaedic surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify demographic factors influencing patient choices when selecting an orthopaedic surgeon.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 500 new patients at an urban academic orthopaedic clinic.
• Patients rated preferences for surgeon's age, gender, race, religion, education, and training.
• Patient demographics were analyzed for correlations with their stated preferences.

Main Results:

• Most patients (78%) had no gender preference; those with preferences favored males.
• 84.8% had no race preference, but those with preferences favored same-ethnicity surgeons (p<0.001).
• Patient education level correlated with the importance of surgeon's training prestige (p=0.04).
• 84% had no religion preference, but those with preferences strongly favored same-religion surgeons (p<0.001).
• Surgeon age and years in practice were not significant selection criteria.
• Patient income level did not influence selection criteria.

Conclusions:

• While most patients lack specific preferences for surgeon demographics, those with preferences often seek shared characteristics (race, religion).
• Findings do not definitively support or refute the need for increased diversity in orthopaedic providers.