Costs of Physician-Hospital Integration.
Given that the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is expected to generate forces toward physician-hospital integration, this study examined an understudied, albeit important, area of costs incurred in physician-hospital integration. Such costs were analyzed through 24 semi-structured interviews with physicians and hospital administrators in a multiple-case, inductive study. Two extreme types of physician-hospital arrangements were examined: an employed model (ie, integrated salary model, a group of physicians integrated by a hospital system) and a private practice (ie, a physician or group of physicians who are independent of economic or policy control). Interviews noted that integration leads to 3 evident costs, namely, monitoring, coordination, and cooperation costs. Improving our understanding of the kinds of costs that are incurred after physician-hospital integration will help hospitals and physicians to avoid common failures after integration.
From the Consumer/Organizational Studies, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA.
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D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000191:economics*; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics*; D006759:Hospital-Physician Joint Ventures / Q000191:economics*; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics*; D011331:Private Practice / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States