Survey Interaction Effects between the Factors Influencing on the Physicians' Decision and their Demographic Characteristics to cooperate in the Family Physician Plan by Using Discrete Choice Experiment

Considering the role of general practitioners in the family physician plan, policymakers and planners are required to be aware of the factors influencing the practitioners' decision to enter this plan. The aim of this study was to identify the effective factors on the decision of general practitioners to participate in the family physician plan. Furthermore, the interaction among these factors and the demographic characteristics of physicians working in Yazd University of Medical Sciences were identified. This descriptive study was conducted on 137 general practitioners, who were selected using the census method and discrete choice test in 2018. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed by orthogonal method and analyzed by SPSS 24. Data analysis was conducted using the Logit regression model in Stata 13 software. The findings showed that the "higher salary" construct was more favorable among the male married general practitioners who had higher incomes. Furthermore, married physicians were significantly more willing to provide out-of-pack services and use facilities of housing and transportations. On the other hand, these physicians have little desire to continue their education and use their quota for admission in the specialization course. Moreover, a reverse and significant relationship was observed between the place of service and the marital status. The family physician plan should be designed by taking into account the demographic characteristics of general practitioners. Therefore, more general practitioners would participate in and cooperate with the plan. The upstream laws of Iran emphasize the necessity of implementing family physician program and general practitioners have an important role in the formation and successful implementation of this program. Consequently, policy making in this area should take into account the demographic variables of physicians, so that more physicians are attracted to it.