How do general practitioners choose their practice? Preferences for practice and job characteristics.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the strength of preferences for practice and job characteristics among recently appointed general practitioners (GPs) in south-east England. METHODS: Conjoint analysis based on a postal questionnaire survey of all 293 GPs who joined a new practice between April 1997 and March 1998 in London, Essex and Hertfordshire. GPs were presented with descriptions of practices in pairs, which varied systematically for key characteristics, and asked to indicate their preferred practice in each pair. RESULTS: The response rate was 58.7%. The most important influence on GPs' choice of practice was aversion to location in an area of high deprivation. They were more likely to choos..