Patient preference in primary care provider type.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient-Provider Relationships
• Primary Care

Background:

• Growing roles of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in primary care.
• Limited research on patient preferences and reasons for choosing provider types.
• This study is the first to explore the underlying reasons for patient provider type preferences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze patient reasons for preferring physicians versus NPs/PAs.
• To understand the qualitative themes influencing patient choice in primary care providers.
• To examine demographic variations in patient provider preferences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of open-text responses from the 2014 AAMC Consumer Survey of Health Care Access (N=4220).
• Thematic coding of patient-stated reasons for provider preference.
• Chi-square tests to assess significant differences in reasons by provider preference and demographics (gender, race, age).

Main Results:

• Physician preference strongly linked to perceived qualifications (75%) and trust (7%).
• NP/PA preference associated with better bedside manner (20%) and convenience (9%).
• Previous experience was a significant factor for both physician (19%) and NP/PA (21%) preference.

Conclusions:

• Provider qualifications and prior experiences are key drivers for choosing any primary care provider.
• Physicians are often selected for technical expertise, while NPs/PAs are chosen for interpersonal skills.
• Findings can inform healthcare providers, administrators, and policymakers to enhance patient satisfaction and care design.