Satellite Clinics Increasingly Utilized by Academic Otolaryngology Departments in the United States

Satellite clinics (ambulatory spaces separate from the main hospital campus), present a growing model of care delivery designed to optimize patient access, quality/safety, and revenue. Our objective was to characterize perceptions of academic otolaryngology chairpersons on satellite clinics to clarify trends in academic practice management.

Survey.

Anonymized survey of US chairpersons of non-military academic otolaryngology departments sent out on May 19 and June 17, 2022 (52/106 [49.1%] response rate).

The majority of responding chairpersons lead programs in the South Atlantic (11, 21.2%), Middle Atlantic (9, 17.3%), and Pacific (8, 15.4%), most with over 10 full-time faculty. Faculty seeing patients at satellite clinics are reportedly promoted at the same rate as other faculty in 85.4% of programs and publish as much as their peers at 60.4%. 38.2% (SD 24.8%) of ambulatory volume and 39.7% (SD 25.7%) of ambulatory revenue is reportedly derived from satellite clinics. Half of programs had a satellite clinic-associated ambulatory care center (ASC) handling an estimated 24.8% (SD 17.2%) of their ambulatory operative cases. 71.2% reported residents rotating at satellite clinics and ASCs. Programs unanimously plan to maintain/increase their satellite clinic volume.

Satellite clinics represent a critical emerging element in most U.S. academic otolaryngology programs. While these data represent only academic chairpersons and not all faculty, they represent a clear relevance, both academically and financially, for satellite clinics within academic otolaryngology. Most programs plan to increasingly use these satellite clinics in the coming years to expand access for patients while improving clinical efficiency and resident education.

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