Here are five numbers to know about private practice versus employment:
1. Twenty-six percent of physicians practice privately, according to an April 2022 report from Avalere.
2. The number of self-employed physicians declined 9.2 percentage points between 2012 and 2022, according to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association.
3. Approximately 70% of surveyed physicians from an analysis by the American Medical Association indicated gaining more favorable payment rates with payers and improving access to costly resources was an important or very important reason for selling their practice to a hospital or health system.
4. Fifty-six percent of employed physicians said what they like most about their job is that they don't have to run a business, according to Medscape's "Employed Physicians Report 2023."
5. Fifty-six percent of employed physicians said what they like least about their job is less autonomy, according to the Medscape report.