The state of integration, 1997/1998

Integration has been around long enough to assess its successes and failures. Of the three main types of integration--between physician groups, between hospitals and medical groups and through physician practice management companies--hospital-physician group mergers have been the least impressive. Hospitals tend to throw money at situations, rather than try to understand group practice. Physician practice management companies, on the other hand, have made great strides by respecting the particularities of group practice and adding value to the practices they buy.