Trends in Ophthalmology Practice Consolidation : 2015 – 2022

Ophthalmology Volume 130, Number 9, September 2023

眼科執業合併趨勢：2015年至2022年

中文摘要

該研究使用美國醫療保險與醫療補助服務中心（Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services）國家可下載文件數據庫的數據，研究了2015年至2022年間眼科領域執業的合併趨勢。研究發現，合併趨勢明顯，眼科診所的數量減少了18％，而眼科醫師的數量相對穩定。具有10名或更多眼科醫師的診所增加了16％。這一趨勢在性別、地區和實踐年限方面保持一致。

研究確定了多個導致合併趨勢的因素，包括COVID-19大流行、私募股權收購以及健康政策變化，如引入基於績效的支付模式。研究指出，合併既有優點也有缺點。在積極方面，較大的診所可以實現規模經濟，談判更好的報酬率，並擁有更多資源來滿足報告要求。然而，不利方面，合併可能導致競爭減少，患者的費用上升，並將焦點放在短期經濟利益上，而忽略了對執業和以實證醫療照顧的長期投資。

研究結論是，儘管合併與美國醫療保健景觀的整體趨勢一致，但它對醫療服務和患者結果的影響尚待確定，需要進一步調查。

English Abstract

The study examines the trend of practice consolidation in the field of ophthalmology from 2015 to 2022 using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) National Downloadable File database. The study found a significant trend toward consolidation, with the number of ophthalmology practices decreasing by 18% while the number of ophthalmologists remained relatively stable. Practices with 10 or more ophthalmologists saw a 16% increase. The trend was consistent across genders, regions, and years spent in practice.

Several factors contributing to this consolidation trend were identified, including the COVID-19 pandemic, private equity acquisitions, and changes in health policy like the introduction of performance-based payment models. The study suggests that consolidation has both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, larger practices can achieve economies of scale, negotiate better reimbursement rates, and have more resources to meet reporting requirements. On the downside, consolidation may lead to reduced competition, higher prices for patients, and a focus on short-term financial gains over long-term investments in practice and evidence-based medical care.

The study concludes that while consolidation is in line with general trends in the U.S. healthcare landscape, its implications for healthcare delivery and patient outcomes remain to be determined and warrant further investigation.