Patient Perceptions of Care From Hospital-Integrated Physicians.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Hospital-physician vertical integration is increasingly prevalent in healthcare.
• Existing research primarily focuses on clinical outcomes, with limited data on patient-reported experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between hospital-physician integration and patient-reported experiences.
• To assess how integration impacts perceptions of care coordination, quality, communication, and accessibility.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.
• Constructed psychometric scales for care coordination/quality, communication, and accessibility.
• Analyzed patient experience differences based on the proportion of care from integrated physicians, controlling for patient characteristics.

Main Results:

• Integrated care showed a significant positive association with perceived care coordination and quality.
• This positive association was more pronounced in patients with high clinical complexity.
• No significant association was found between integrated care and patient-reported communication or accessibility.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-physician integration has a nuanced impact on patient experience.
• Integration positively influences coordination and quality, particularly for complex patients.
• Policymakers should consider patient experience alongside outcomes and costs when evaluating integration strategies.