Between 2013 and 2015, many small, solo doctor practices changed to larger group practices, according to researchers Muhlestein and Smith. This change is part of a bigger trend in healthcare to improve patient care and make doctors’ work lives better.
Group practices come in different sizes and styles. Some are big, multi-specialty groups that combine many areas of medicine, as noted by Burns, Goldsmith, and Sen. Others are medium-sized groups focused on one medical specialty, which Liebhaber and Grossman observed. Each type affects how the practice runs, patient experiences, and the overall healthcare system.
Patients often benefit from group practices in satisfaction and care quality. Larger groups usually offer better access to specialized services and allow doctors to share knowledge. For example, a study by Jimenez and team at a hospital in the Philippines found that group practices improved patient satisfaction and care quality. Similar effects might happen in the United States.
Bigger groups often have longer office hours and doctors available sooner. Also, more providers working together can improve care coordination. This teamwork helps avoid repeating tests and procedures. In the end, patients get safer and more efficient care.
Doctors working in group practices can earn more money and often have better quality of life. Sharing tasks means less admin work for individual doctors than in solo practices. This lets doctors spend more time with patients instead of paperwork, which can help reduce burnout.
Even with these benefits, group practice doctors face challenges. Stress can rise, sometimes because of poor relationships among doctors as they get used to working together. Practice leaders need to handle these team problems carefully to keep a good work atmosphere.
At the system level, group practices help make healthcare more efficient and reduce wasted resources. Doctors in groups share support staff, technology, and tools. This lowers costs and avoids wasting equipment or space.
This means the healthcare system can give care more efficiently without lowering quality. For example, group practices can follow proven care methods better, which lowers mistakes and improves patient results. This matches goals of quality improvement in health services.
Better use of resources also means appointments, tests, and procedures are scheduled well. Patients wait less and clinical work flows better. This helps both patients and healthcare providers use time more effectively.
Technology is getting more important in group practices, especially AI and automation tools. Group practices manage a lot of communication, data, and admin tasks. AI can help make work smoother, more accurate, and improve experiences for patients and staff.
Simbo AI is one example of a company that builds front-office phone automation with AI. Their tools can handle many calls, schedule appointments, and answer common patient questions all day and night. This lowers no-show rates and gives patients timely information without overloading staff or doctors.
Automation also cuts costs by needing fewer front-office workers. It lets practice owners put staff where they are needed most — on harder patient care tasks instead of routine ones. This better admin work means resources in group practices get used well.
AI can also connect with electronic health records (EHR) and health IT systems. It can send alerts, reminders, and analytics. For example, AI can find patients who need follow-up or spot errors in records. This helps doctors keep care quality high without adding more work.
Even with many strengths, running or joining a group practice can be complex. Conflicts between doctors are a common source of stress and can hurt work environment and patient care. Practice leaders have a key role in helping resolve these problems through communication and conflict handling.
Using technology also has challenges. Smaller or medium groups may find AI and automation expensive or hard to set up. Healthcare IT managers must check the costs and give enough training for all staff.
Healthcare policies should note that group practice benefits depend on factors like size, specialty, and location. Different local markets in the U.S. may mean what works in big cities might not work well in rural or less served areas.
Most research on group practices looks at how they affect doctors in the U.S. These studies often use surveys and observation. Zwiep and others recently reviewed 98 papers from thousands found in databases like MEDLINE and EMBASE. Their work shows many group practice benefits are known, but more studies are needed to better measure patient results and what causes success in group models.
Researchers suggest more focus on linking specific group traits with better healthcare efficiency and resource use. This information will help practice leaders make smarter decisions about starting or growing group practices.
The main objective of the scoping review was to identify the advantages and disadvantages that group practices have on patients, physicians, and healthcare systems.
A scoping review methodology was employed, based on Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and refined by Levac et al., involving screening titles and abstracts, followed by qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Patients experienced improved satisfaction and quality of care in group practices.
Group practices reported benefits for physicians, including improved quality of life and higher income.
Disadvantages included increased stress owing to poor interpersonal relationships among staff.
Healthcare systems benefited from improved efficiency and better resource utilization due to group practices.
Further studies are needed to assess specific patient outcomes and define the elements that contribute to successful group practices.
The study searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for relevant literature.
The search strategy returned a total of 2,408 papers, of which 98 were included for final analysis.
Most included studies were surveys assessing physician outcomes, primarily from the USA.
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