According to the Physician Foundation's annual "Survey of America's Current and Future Physicians," 6 in 10 physicians and residents reported experiencing burnout, and 50% of respondents said healthcare consolidation is having a negative impact on their job satisfaction.
Physicians noted that this dissatisfaction is related to losing autonomy when private equity takes control of practices. Thirty-six percent of respondents said consolidation resulted in negative effects on patient care, 35% said it negatively impacted independent medical judgment, and 30% said it negatively affected patient healthcare costs.
The majority of respondents also said in the survey that they wanted safeguards for consolidation implemented, including maintaining patient standards, increasing transparency and disclosure, and assessing long-term impact.