The following statistics are from the PricewaterhouseCoopers 2010 report, “From courtship to marriage: Why health reform is driving physicians and hospitals together.” To inform this report, PwC Health research Institute conducted 15 in-depth interviews with thought leaders and executives representing providers, payors and professional associations. This insight is combined with data collected from a 2010 online survey of more than 1,000 physicians balanced by age, gender, practice type and specialty.
Physician perceptions on hospital integration
• Nearly three-fourths of physicians surveyed are already in financial relationships with hospitals.
• Physicians already working primarily in hospital practice settings: 24 percent.
• When asked whether they trust hospitals, 20 percent of physicians surveyed said “no” and 57 percent said “sometimes.”
• Physicians practicing in large groups are two- to three-times more likely to express interest in hospital alignment than sole practitioners.
• Physicians who said hospitals are dependent on them to reduce costs and improve efficiency: 66 percent.
• More than one-third of physicians surveyed said hospital alignment would decrease administrative burdens such as healthcare information technology requirements.
• Cardiologists interested in hospital employment: 63 percent.
• Primary care physicians interested in hospital employment: 48 percent.
• Specialists (combined) interested in hospital employment: 45 percent.
Physician interest in specific integration models
• Employment: 44 percent of physicians are currently employed by a hospital, medical foundation, provider-based clinic, faculty practice plan or group practice. Forty-six percent of physicians are most interested in pursuing this model over the next two years.
• Directorships, stipends or management contracts: 24 percent of physicians are currently aligned in this model and 51 percent of physicians are most interested in pursuing this model over the next two years.
• Joint venture: 8 percent of physicians are currently aligned in a joint venture and 38 percent of physicians are most interested in pursuing this model over the next two years.
• Co-management: 8 percent of physicians are currently aligned in this model and 34 percent of physicians are most interested in pursuing co-management over the next two years.
• Leasing arrangement: 9 percent of physicians are currently aligned in this arrangement and 21 percent of physicians are most interested in pursuing this model over the next two years.
• Directorships, stipends or management contracts: 24 percent of physicians are currently aligned in this model and 51 percent of physicians are most interested in pursuing this model over the next two years.
Read more about hospital-physician relationships:
–5 Tactics for Bringing Spine Surgeons to Small Hospitals
–5 Steps to Develop a Co-Management Arrangement for a Hospital Service Line
