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Hospital employment more attractive to surgeons

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 24, 2012

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More surgeons are becoming hospital employees as they seek to move away from the administrative hassles of running an independent practice and hospitals consolidate services in response to health system reform, says an Archives of Surgery study published online Dec. 17.

Researchers evaluated nine years of American Medical Association Physician Masterfile data. Between 2001 and 2009, the percentage of U.S. general surgeons in single practices decreased 25%, while the number of general surgeons in large group practices increased 67%.

During the same period, the number of all surgeons who were self employed decreased 15%, while the number of self-employed general surgeons decreased 16%.

Meanwhile, the number of employed surgeons rose. In 2009, 68% of all surgeons and 66% of general surgeons were employed. The increases were similar in rural and urban areas. More employed surgeons tend to be female and are an average of six to seven years younger than self-employed physicians, the study said (link).

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