More than half of physicians are self-employed, and 60 percent work in practices that are fully owned by physicians, according to the results of the 2012 Physician Practice Benchmark Survey.
In an effort to investigate physician practice arrangements, Carol K. Kane, Ph.D., and David W. Emmons, Ph.D., from the American Medical Association, conducted a survey involving a nationally representative random sample of post-residency physicians who provided at least 20 hours of patient care per week.
According to the report, 53.2 percent of physicians were self-employed, and 60 percent worked in physician-owned practices. Less than one-quarter (23 percent) of physicians worked in practices that were at least partially hospital-owned, while 5.6 percent were directly employed by a hospital.
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“As we move forward, it should be recognized that physicians provide care in a wide range of practice types, sizes, and ownership arrangements,” the authors write. “While some physicians will easily be able to adapt to and engage in Accountable Care Organizations or other health delivery structures that emphasize greater integration and care coordination, for others it will prove more of a challenge.”
