Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment
Introduction The outflow and scarcity of physicians in rural areas can adversely affect universal health coverage and population health outcomes, which are critical concerns in China. This study explored primary healthcare physicians’ job preferences using a discrete choice experiment to identify ap...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-03-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e056741.full |
| _version_ | 1797744442157826048 |
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| author | Lei Wang Gang Chen Cunrui Huang Meiling Bao Gang Yan |
| author_facet | Lei Wang Gang Chen Cunrui Huang Meiling Bao Gang Yan |
| author_sort | Lei Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction The outflow and scarcity of physicians in rural areas can adversely affect universal health coverage and population health outcomes, which are critical concerns in China. This study explored primary healthcare physicians’ job preferences using a discrete choice experiment to identify appropriate incentives for retention.Methods Eight job characteristics were identified through a literature review and qualitative studies as the attributes relevant to designing the discrete choice experiment, with levels varying between two hypothetical jobs. The data were analysed using conditional logit model, mixed logit model and latent class model.Results A total of 1781 licensed physicians (including licensed assistant physicians) from township health centres in rural areas were surveyed. Policy simulation suggested that they were sensitive to both monetary and non-monetary policy incentives. As for non-monetary job characteristics, a highly intense doctor–patient relationship, bianzhi (the number of personnel allocated to each employer by the government) and educational opportunities were highly valued by the respondents. The latent class model could identify distinct groups with different job preferences according to their memberships.Conclusion Urban jobs were much preferred to rural ones. However, policy incentives can lend themselves to effective retention strategies. It is also important to tailor policy incentives to different subgroups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:10:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa79afa4b7654ccfa20a5354d84ea391 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:10:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa79afa4b7654ccfa20a5354d84ea3912023-08-11T20:15:07ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-03-0113310.1136/bmjopen-2021-056741Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experimentLei Wang0Gang Chen1Cunrui Huang2Meiling Bao3Gang Yan4Centre for Artificial Intelligence, School of Computing and Information Technology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, AustraliaBioRay Pharmaceutical Corp, San Diego, California, USASchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaCenter of Population Information of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, ChinaIntroduction The outflow and scarcity of physicians in rural areas can adversely affect universal health coverage and population health outcomes, which are critical concerns in China. This study explored primary healthcare physicians’ job preferences using a discrete choice experiment to identify appropriate incentives for retention.Methods Eight job characteristics were identified through a literature review and qualitative studies as the attributes relevant to designing the discrete choice experiment, with levels varying between two hypothetical jobs. The data were analysed using conditional logit model, mixed logit model and latent class model.Results A total of 1781 licensed physicians (including licensed assistant physicians) from township health centres in rural areas were surveyed. Policy simulation suggested that they were sensitive to both monetary and non-monetary policy incentives. As for non-monetary job characteristics, a highly intense doctor–patient relationship, bianzhi (the number of personnel allocated to each employer by the government) and educational opportunities were highly valued by the respondents. The latent class model could identify distinct groups with different job preferences according to their memberships.Conclusion Urban jobs were much preferred to rural ones. However, policy incentives can lend themselves to effective retention strategies. It is also important to tailor policy incentives to different subgroups.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e056741.full |
| spellingShingle | Lei Wang Gang Chen Cunrui Huang Meiling Bao Gang Yan Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment BMJ Open |
| title | Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment |
| title_full | Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment |
| title_fullStr | Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment |
| title_short | Eliciting primary healthcare physicians’ preferences for job characteristics in rural China: a discrete choice experiment |
| title_sort | eliciting primary healthcare physicians preferences for job characteristics in rural china a discrete choice experiment |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e056741.full |
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