Ranking of Patient Preferences on Refer to Obstetrician/Gynecologist in the Private Sector Using Factor Analysis Technique

Objective: Identifying patients' preferences when referring to specialist physicians is one of the key concerns in private sector marketing, which leads to the identification of new ways to attract new customers and create loyal customers. In addition, purposeful identification and fulfilment of patients' preferences leads to patient satisfaction and, subsequently, patient adherence to treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify and rank women's preferences and criteria in referring to a gynecologist/obstetrician in the private sector. Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in a 2-month period from January to February 2018. The study population consisted of 462 patients referring to private obstetrics and gynecology offices in Mashhad metropolis. The scale used to measure patients' preferences was a questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed in the previous phase of this project (CVI = 0.80, Cronbach's alpha = 0.88). The process of completing the questionnaire was done with the help of a questioner/investigator using a mobile application. Factor analysis technique was used to establish construct validity, eliminate the effect of common variance of items, reduce dimensions, and give weight to items. The items in the final model were ranked based on two methods: 1) a constant weight and 2) variable weights based on the factor loading of each item. Finally, the ranking results of both methods were compared with each other. Friedman ranking statistical test was used to rank items. Results The model obtained from factor analysis to measure patients' preferences consisted of 28 items distributed in nine factors, which explained the variance of the data by 63.63%. The model dimensions and the amount of variance explained by each dimension were as follows: behavioral and communication skills (13.9%), availability (7.8%), recommendation (6.4%), office environment (6.0%), gender (6.0%), insurance (6.0%), professionalism (5.9%), special procedure (5.6%), and accessibility (5.6%). The items "private examination", "respecting the patient during the examination", "confidentiality", and "honesty" gained the highest rank, while the "university affiliation" item gained the lowest rank in the final model. Conclusion Selection and referral to an obstetrician/gynecologist in the field of pregnancy and cancer is more complicated than other medical fields. By considering the differences in the importance of items that measured patients' preferences in referring to a gynecologist/obstetrician and by ranking them based on factor loadings, a comprehensive, homogeneous, and valid model was obtained for patients' preferences.