Influence of key variables on the patients' choice of a physician.
BACKGROUND
Customer orientation is becoming as important in providing health care services as it is in other services. In addition to expecting good health care, patients are also expecting good customer service from their health care providers. Selection of a family physician is a deliberate choice process.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the variables that influence the choice of a family care physician.


METHODS
This study used an experimental design to investigate the influence of physician's communication style, physician's expertise and role of office staff, appointment availability, etc on the selection of a physician.


RESULTS
The results show the significance of physician's expertise and the role of office staff in the choice of a physician.
Arora
Raj
R
Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City 64110, USA. arorar@umkc.edu
Singer
Joseph
J
Arora
Alisha
A
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011361:Professional Competence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires