Background

Physicians’ preferences for financial and non-financial incentives significantly influence their job satisfaction and career choices. A comprehensive understanding of these preferences can aid in the optimisation of incentive policies. While prior studies have examined these preferences using discrete choice experiments (DCEs), the effects of intrinsic motivations, such as altruism and job satisfaction, on incentive responsiveness remain poorly understood. Understanding this heterogeneity is essential for designing incentive policies that are effective and tailored to the healthcare context in China. This study aimed to assess how physicians’ altruism and job satisfaction shape their preferences for financial and non-financial incentives.

Methods

This study employed a DCE methodology and surveyed 886 physicians from urban tertiary hospitals. The DCE design was based on a comprehensive literature review and focus group interviews, assessing physicians’ preferences regarding attributes such as work environment, workload, career development opportunities and career identity. Mixed logit models were used to estimate the willingness to pay for each attribute and analyse heterogeneity across subgroups based on levels of altruism and job satisfaction.

Results

Financial incentives were the most important factor for physicians, followed by attributes such as work atmosphere and workload. On average, physicians expressed a willingness to sacrifice 4859.035 ¥ for an improved work atmosphere and 4335.008 ¥ in exchange for reduced workload. Subgroup analysis showed that physicians with low- and medium-altruism prioritised improvements related to working conditions, while those with high-altruism placed greater emphasis on intrinsic career development and career identity. Furthermore, physicians reporting low-job satisfaction demonstrated heightened sensitivity to both financial and non-financial incentives, whereas those with high-job satisfaction showed weaker preference for financial incentives and greater preference for improvements in work atmosphere (β=1.002) and work environment (β=0.876).

Conclusion

The findings highlight the need to align incentive policies with physicians’ intrinsic motivations and current job satisfaction. Financial incentives remain a key driver of job preferences. Non-financial factors, including improvements in the work atmosphere, work environment, workload, career development and professional identity, also play an important role in supporting physicians’ job satisfaction and retention. Considering differences in altruism and job satisfaction can help healthcare institutions and policymakers develop more targeted and context-specific incentive strategies.

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