Physician employment opportunities are sprouting up in hospitals across the nation. However, as reported in the March 30th edition of New England Journal of Medicine, decisions made by physicians, in terms of employment, will bear repercussions for the practice and management of medicine, in the long-term.
Some physicians, who have made that change from working out of independent offices to working as employees of healthcare facilities, are beginning to experience the downsides of their decisions. A story that pinpointed six common complaints of providers of physician services, employed by hospitals, was reported in last month’s MedScape Business of Medicine.
The six biggest complaints made by hospital-employed physicians are: lack of clinical autonomy, rigid call schedules, changes in pay, uncertain job security, lack of business control, and influence of non-compete clauses, according to MedScape Business of Medicine.
The NEJM article added that, “Physicians should be educated on economics of physician employment, and what hospitals will do to mitigate losses, before making employment decisions. Physicians might initially feel sense of security from system reforms, however performance management is more micromanaged than it was at one time. Overall, choices physicians make today might not be able to be altered tomorrow.”