Key factors in physicians' choice of practice location: findings from a survey of practitioners and their spouses

Abstract

Physicians' decisions regarding choice of practice location is a complex one and is influenced by many factors related to professional, community and family concerns for both physicians and spouses. Findings from a large mail survey explain this complexity. Practicing physicians, regardless of location, rank spousal influence to be the most important one when making practice location decisions; spouses also rank their own contribution to that decision in equally high terms. A factor analysis of responses to 44 satisfaction items reveals that for rural and urban physicians, as well as urban spouses, community-related considerations are even more important than professional ones, while for rural spouses, professional and income considerations are the most important. Several unique concerns are identified, as well as some that are common to all four groups under study.