Selection of a physician for prenatal care

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Behavior
• Medical Decision-Making

Background:

• Understanding patient choices in selecting healthcare providers is crucial for service delivery.
• Prenatal care selection serves as a relevant model for general physician selection processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the factors influencing the selection of physicians for prenatal care.
• To identify commonalities between physician selection criteria and patient satisfaction with care.

Main Methods:

• The study modeled the generic process of choosing a physician using prenatal care selection as a case study.

Main Results:

• Key factors in physician selection include physician competence, cost, convenience, and personal qualities.
• Women choosing obstetricians prioritized physician competence more highly.
• Women choosing family physicians emphasized cost and convenience more.

Conclusions:

• The factors influencing prenatal care physician selection align with broader patient satisfaction metrics.
• Patient priorities differ based on the type of physician selected (obstetrician vs. family physician).