What Factors Influence a Patient's Choice in Provider Selection When Battling Head and Neck Cancer

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

10:06 AM – 10:12 AM EDT

Location: MBCC, 208

Disclosure(s):

Noah A. DeMoss, Other:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Nilesh R. Vasan, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Rachad Mhawej, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Rusha J. Patel, MD, FACS:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: This study examines the factors influencing provider choice for new patients at an NCI designated cancer center head and neck cancer clinic.

Methods: A 19 question survey was administered to consecutive new patients during their first clinic visit. Questions covered age, gender, how patients heard of their doctor, what resources they utilized in personal research and how factors such as driving distance, wait time, the physician’s website, and the physician’s experience affected their choice. The data from the questions was sorted to highlight the majority answers.

Results: In total, 113 surveys were administered to new patients. Of them, 48% of the patients were over 65, and there was nearly an even distribution between gender of participants, and in distance driven. Overwhelmingly, the patients chose their appointment at this care facility based upon the recommendation of another medical professional. Some (12%) chose their doctor based upon the recommendation of a family member or friend, and one used social media. Patients were most likely to trust a recommendation from a medical professional, yet nearly 30% of patients would prioritize a family or friend’s recommendation over another doctor. A third of patients researched their physician before arriving primarily using google search. No other factors assessed contributed to patient choice. Physician’s website was slightly or not important over 50% of the time.

Conclusions: Understanding patients’ priorities and concerns in treatment facility helps physician practices improve/meet expectations. Tertiary subspecialty head and neck cancer clinics have not been previously studied. For this sample of patients, the most valuable thing for them was physician recommendation. Factors like wait time, location, and experience seem to have no effect on patients’ decisions, creating a distinction between head and neck cancer and general practice physicians. If generalizable to oncology practices, then more attention should be placed on relationships with referral sources rather than social media and external scores.

Presenting Author(s)

Noah A. DeMoss

Medical Student
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Moore, Oklahoma, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

Greg A. Krempl, MD

Department Chairman
University of Oklahoma - Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Oklahoma city, OK, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
Nilesh R. Vasan, MD

Professor
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
RM

Rachad Mhawej, MD

Assistant Professor Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery and Microvascular Reconstruction Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
RP

Rusha J. Patel, MD

Associate Professor
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
MR

Matthew Radant, MD

OUHealth, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.