The effect of hospital control strategies on physician satisfaction and physician-hospital conflict.
This article examines several strategies that hospitals use to control their medical staffs. Such strategies include placing physicians on salary, developing exclusive hospital affiliations with physicians, and involving physicians in decision-making bodies. Using regression techniques, we investigate which hospitals are more likely to utilize these strategies and whether such strategies are effective in promoting physician-hospital integration. Contrary to our expectations, corporate hospital structures (e.g., for-profit hospitals, membership in multihospital systems) generally do not employ these strategies more often and oftentimes employ them less. There is also little evidence that control strategies are effective levers for increasing physician satisfaction or decreasing physician-hospital conflict. We suggest that control strategies are useful for purposes other than promoting physician-hospital integration. Finally, hospital ownership appears to exert the biggest effect on physician satisfaction and conflict.
Burns
L R
LR
Department of Management and Policy, College of Business and Public Administration, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.
Andersen
R M
RM
Shortell
S M
SM
D000367:Age Factors; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010067:Ownership; D011445:Prospective Payment System; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D014481:United States