How to use compensation metrics to guide MDs to the practice model you prefer

Why This Topic Matters

Compensation structure can affect physician recruitment, retention, productivity, and alignment with practice goals. Understanding the broad trends discussed here can help health care organizations evaluate whether their current pay model supports their operational and strategic objectives.

Article Sections

1. Physician payments

   Introduces the AMA compensation report and summarizes the overall trend toward mixed compensation methods among physicians. It also frames the broader shift in how physician pay is being structured across practices.

2. More employees, more salaries

   Discusses the growth of salaried employment among physicians and relates it to practice acquisitions and changing employment patterns. It also touches on recruitment and the preferences of newer physicians.

3. Tying compensation to practice goals

   Explores how practices can use compensation design to support organizational objectives, including recruitment, productivity, and alignment with broader strategic goals. This section also addresses market and reimbursement pressures that can influence plan design.

4. Besides value-based

   Covers the limits and variability of value-oriented compensation in different markets and payer environments. It describes how reimbursement conditions can affect the practicality of linking pay to performance metrics.

5. Other compensation metrics

   Reviews additional non-salary approaches used in physician compensation, including engagement-related measures and benefit-based incentives. It also discusses ways organizations may reward participation in activities beyond direct patient care.