Independent Practice

While most physicians work in employed settings, there is a growing shift toward independent practice as concerns about physician autonomy and satisfaction persist. 

The physician shortage — particularly in primary care — has reached crisis levels, yet little is being done to reverse the trend.

As independent physician practices have dwindled in the last decade, autonomy has emerged as a central concern in the physician workforce. 

Johnson, Tenn.-based Ballad Health seeks to provide relief for physician practices struggling to stay afloat in challenging economic environments, especially in rural areas. 

Here are five organizations helping physicians start or maintain independent practice through new and innovative business models:

As the independent physician market is shrinking, many ASC leaders are concerned about what they see to be problematic behavior from hospital employees. 

Salaries and wages remain the largest operating expense for private practice physicians, according to a recent survey from healthcare software company Tebra, published Jan. 30.

Physicians' sense of autonomy in employed settings and their ability and inclination to operate an independent practice have dually declined in recent years, becoming a central concern for physicians across specialties. 

Autonomy is on many physicians' minds as the workforce becomes increasingly consolidated and the number of employed physicians grows. 

Physician autonomy is a central concern for physicians and physician leaders heading into 2025, as just 44% of physicians owned their own practice in 2022, compared with 76% in the early 1980s, according to the American Medical Association.