How Patients Choose a Laryngologist: A Pilot Stated Preference Study.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Patient choice of medical providers involves numerous factors.
• Understanding patient preferences is crucial for patient-centered care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess patient preferences for attributes when selecting a laryngologist using best-worst scaling (BWS).
• To identify the relative importance of physician qualifications, reputation, hospital factors, and nonclinical attributes in patient decision-making.

Main Methods:

• A computerized best-worst scaling (BWS) survey was administered to new patients at an academic voice clinic.
• Attributes were derived from patient input, expert opinion, and literature review, categorized into physician reputation, qualifications, hospital factors, and nonclinical factors.
• Multinomial logit regression was used to analyze responses and determine attribute importance scores.

Main Results:

• Physician qualifications, particularly specialty laryngology training, were the most important attribute (importance score: 20.8).
• Referring physician recommendations (15.6) and use of advanced technology (11.9) were the second and third most important factors.
• Nonclinical factors like wait times (4.3) and office convenience (1.5) were least important; 51.2% of patients would wait 4 weeks for an appointment.

Conclusions:

• Laryngology-specific training is paramount for patients, outweighing nonclinical considerations.
• Stated preference methodologies like BWS effectively reveal patient priorities.
• Findings can guide providers in delivering more patient-centered care.