Overall, 60.8% of physicians said they view the involvement of PE in healthcare in a negative light. Just 10.5% of physicians said they have a positive opinion about PE, and the remaining 28.8% said they were neutral. In addition, 52% of respondents said they think PE ownership is worse than being owned by a not-for-profit hospital or health system.
What is it about PE involvement that worries physicians the most? Its potential impact on physician well-being, healthcare prices/spending and health equity were the three most common concerns.
The authors also noted that the small subset of physicians who are owned by a PE-backed group were less likely to report high professional satisfaction and autonomy than physicians not owned by a PE-backed group. They were also less likely to say they would likely remain with their employer.
“While this survey had a limited sample size and is not generalizable to non-ACP members, our findings add to the dearth of evidence on PE’s perceived effects on physicians,” the authors wrote. “Our estimates of PE-involved physicians mirror those in the literature and suggest new areas for inquiry around clinical practice and workplace experience.”
Read the full research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine here.
Private equity’s impact in cardiovascular care
The rise of PE continues to be one of the biggest trends in all of healthcare, and its presence in cardiology seems to be growing by the day. Cardiovascular Associates of America, Cardiovascular Logistics and other PE-backed cardiology management groups are acquiring more and more practices, and the trend has shown no signs of slowing down.
Click here and here for additional insights into PE’s impact on cardiovascular care in the United States.