In an increasingly consolidated industry, some physicians worry that the future of private practice isn't so bright.
Sheldon Taub, MD, a gastroenterologist at Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center, connected with Becker's to discuss physician autonomy.
Editor's note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Dr. Sheldon Taub: Physicians remaining independent are going to be few and far between. They're either going to go with these large equity groups or hospitals or something like that.
You still have a quote, unquote, "private practice," but you have guidelines and rules that you have to conform to so it meets their criteria. So right away, you feel a little bit of your autonomy being compromised, and then the bigger the group gets, the more restrictions they have on what you can do to stay in the group and conform to what they want you to do. On top of that, the government throws in their regulations too. The private practitioner is a dying breed.