Despite the trend toward consolidation in healthcare, there are still many physicians who remain independent, according to the 2015 Independent Physician Outlook Survey: Physician Migratory Patterns from ProCare Systems.
Here are the factors that allow physicians to stay independent in some markets:
1. Stable reimbursement: 45 percent
2. Steady referral stream: 53 percent
3. Specialized nature of practice within the local healthcare community: 70 percent
4. Efficient and sustainable cost structure: 50 percent
5. Other: 10 percent
Nearly three-quarters — 73 percent — of the survey respondents said they would prefer not to sell their practices if maintaining independence were profitable and sustainable. And almost all — 94 percent — of the respondents said they thought the marketplace should offer new physician practice models to ensure independence.