10 Statistics on Physician Employment: Are More Providers Leaning Toward Larger Practices?

A new American Medical Association survey found physician practice owners no longer constitute the majority of physicians.

Here are 10 statistics on physician employment:

1. Physician employment has jumped nearly 5 percent between 2012 and 2016.

2. The number of physicians who had ownership stakes in a practice fell 6 percent in that time frame.

3. In 2016, there were an equal number of employed physician and practices owners.

4. Nearly 5.9 percent of physicians were independent contractors in 2016.

5. The number of employed physicians under 40 was 65.1 percent last year, up from 51.3 percent in 2012.

6. Subspecialists accounted for the highest number of practice owners at 59.3 percent, followed by radiologists at 56.3 percent.

7. Emergency medicine specialists constituted the fewest number of owners at 27.9 percent.

8. More than half (55.8 percent) of physicians worked in medical practices with 100 percent physician ownership last year.

9. The number of physicians working directly for hospitals or in practices with at least some hospital ownership was 32.8 percent, both in 2014 and 2016.

10. The AMA survey noted signs of a gradual shift toward larger practices. Nearly 13.8 percent of physicians worked in practices with 50 physicians or more last year.

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