The ambulatory surgery center industry thrives on independent-minded physicians. Yet many are taking hospital contracts, especially those just finishing training. So what does the field of independent physicians for ASCs look like?
Here are 12 key statistics and thoughts on the future ASC physicians based on the American Medical Association's Policy Research Perspectives report:
1. There were around 52 percent of physicians who were full or part owners of their practice in 2012. This is 8 percentage points lower than in 2007 and 2008.
2. Ownership stake in practice is less common among younger physicians than older physicians. There were about 43 percent of the physicians under 40 who were owners, compared with 60 percent of physicians who were 55 and older.
3. More men had ownership in their practice than women; 38.7 percent of female physicians had ownership in their practice, compared to 59.6 percent of men.
4. Single-specialty practices were the most common type of practice arrangement, held by 45.5 percent of physicians.
5. Multispecialty groups accounted for 22.1 percent of physicians.
6. Sixty percent of physicians worked in practices with fewer than 10 physicians. Another 16 percent were in practices with 10 physicians to 24 physicians.
7. Among single-specialty groups, 39 percent of physicians said their group had four or fewer physicians while only 5.3 percent said their practice had at least 50 physicians.
8. Nearly 10 percent of multispecialty practice physicians said there were four or fewer physicians in their group, compared to 35.5 percent who said there were at least 50 physicians in their group.
9. There were 60 percent of physicians practicing in groups wholly owned by practice physicians. Eleven percent of these physicians were employed by or contracted with physicians who owned their practice.
10. Only 5.6 percent of the physicians were direct hospital or health system employees.
11. Most — 71.8 percent — of physicians in single specialty groups said their practice was 100 percent physician-owned; 22 percent reported some hospital ownership in their practice.
12. Among multispecialty groups, at least partial hospital ownership was reported by 43.6 percent of physicians while 36.9 percent said the practice was wholly physician-owned.