The use of conjoint analysis to study patient satisfaction.

Previous research has identified aspects of the outpatient interactions between patients and physicians that are important for patient satisfaction. In this study, conjoint analysis was used to determine the relative importance of these factors to patients. This study found the perceived skill of the physician to be the most important factor and waiting time in the office the least important. The use of conjoint analysis should help both patients and physicians to maximize patient satisfaction while minimizing costs as much as possible.