Table 2 A list of the main factors affecting the FP selection by patients from the perspective of patients, HSMs, and physicians (familiarization stage)

patients

(n = 30)

Punctual, Careful examination, Being a specialist, Medical experience, Higher age (older), High scientific level, Explain and provide information to the patient, Listen and pay attention to patient talk, Advising the patient about his or her illness, Doctor’s gender, Public or private workplace, Well-equipped and stylish workplace, Proximity of the doctor’s office, The availability to the physician in more weekdays, Satisfaction of other patients, Having previous successful treatment experiences with the selected doctor, Correct diagnosis, Cost-effective examination, And proper behavior.

HSMs

(n = 5)

Appropriate behavior and interaction with patients, High communication skills with patients, Listen patiently to patient talk, Having a good ethics and personality based on respect, Being kind, regular and punctual, Easy availability to the physician with short waiting time, Easy access to the doctor’s office, The proximity of other health services (e.g., laboratories and pharmacy) to the doctor’s office, Doctors’ office cleaning and sanitary maintenance, Having a neat, clean-cut appearance, Looks like a doctor (by uniform, stethoscope, etc.), Being middle-aged and handsome, Having the common dialect and ethnicity (e.g., Fars, Turk, Kord, Lor, etc.) between doctor and patient, Being fellow-citizen, Being the same gender, Doctor’s reputation, Being holistic (considering the patient’s entire physical-mental condition along with her/his current illness), Being skillful and experienced, Having an excellent scientific level and clinical skills, High carefulness in medical examination and biography, Publicity, Give patients adequate information about diseases and necessary guidance or training, Being accountable to the patient, Keep patients focused during office visits, Follow up and continuity of care, The effectiveness of previous treatment, The patient’s practical experience of physician actions, The trust level of patients in physicians, Cost-effective examination, Satisfaction and experiences of other patients, patients’ religious beliefs, Respecting the traditions and beliefs of patients, patients’ literacy and awareness level, And the disease severity (making the patient more careful and obsessed in choosing a physician)

FMRs

(n = 20)

Physician knowledge and awareness, The treatment effectiveness, Good ethics (patience, politeness, behavior and communication), Keeping the patient’s medical secrets, Proximity to the doctor’s office, Cost-effective examination, Complementary services at the center to avoid any unnecessary referral of patients for conducting paraclinical or interventional measures, Getting to know the cultural beliefs of the patients of the region, Knowing the level of scientific literacy of the regional patients’ children who are studying and working in another city, Enough awareness of religious beliefs of the regional patients, Awareness of the level of public expectations of the area physician’s performance, Required ability to adequately treat patients and not refer them too much for diagnostic trials, And providing a suitable alternative in times of drug shortage or lack of laboratory facilities

GPs (Rural FPs)

(n = 6)

Gender (Women often refer to a female doctor), Being a specialist, High medical experience, Having good ethics and personality based on respect, Effective communication and empathy with the patient, Follow up and continuity of care, Other patients’ satisfaction with the treatment outcome, The effectiveness of previous treatment, Presenting the correct diagnosis and rapid treatment, Keeping up to date on scientific information, Give patients adequate information about their diseases, Presenting the necessary training to prevent patient’s illness complications, The referral to the physician who complies with patient requests, Government-funded healthcare centers (with more referrals due to the less payment), And doctors occupied in the private sector (owing to their better care and higher scientific level)

GPs (Urban FPs)

(n = 6)

Having good behavior and ethics based on respect, Being patient and trusted, Having up-to-date knowledge and high scientific level, Keeping the patient’s medical secrets, Having the effective communication and empathy with the patient, Avoiding unnecessary referral of patients for conducting paraclinical and interventional tests, Correct and necessary referral of patients to other medical centers, Do not be a strict physician, The availability to the physician in most weekdays, High availability to additional services (e.g., sterile injection) in the nearness of physician’s office, Proximity to the doctor’s office, Short waiting time to visit, Regular follow-up and responsibility, Assigning sufficient time to visit, Work experience and reputation, The effectiveness of previous treatment, And satisfaction and experiences of other family members,

SDs

(n = 15)

Good morals, Doctor’s gender, Punctuality, Honesty, Being holistic, High communication skills with patients and favorable answering to their questions with patience, Proper professional behavior, Avoiding any unnecessary referral, Having up-to-date knowledge and high scientific level, Doctor’s reputation, skill and expertise, Proximity of doctor’s office, Low doctor’s visit price and acceptance of health insurance, Good secretary, Recommended by friends and acquaintances, Geographical location of doctor’s office, Having the required information (office’s phone, and doctor’s mobile), The effectiveness of the physician’s actions on the previous visit(s), Satisfaction and experiences of other patients, Keeping the patient’s medical secrets, Having a neat, clean-cut appearance, High carefulness in medical examination and biography, Assigning sufficient time to visit patient