As hospitals and doctors continue to merge at an accelerated rate, health systems will face significant risk management challenges, according to an analysis by Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management arm of Aon Corporation.
In collaboration with the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, Aon’s annual Hospital and Physician Professional Liability Benchmark Analysis report focuses on trends associated with healthcare collaborations. The report is based on information from more than 2,300 facilities and 117 hospital systems.
Examples of how health systems could be impacted by the risk management challenges they may face include:
• Smaller regional and local hospitals may find themselves without the capital, infrastructure or expertise to develop as accountable care organizations.
• Regional hospital systems may not own the assets needed to be competitive and could be looking to buy specific physician practices to fill the gaps.
• Middle market hospital systems are looking to develop capabilities to help drive efficiencies in specific clinical specialties, such as radiology and orthopedics.
• Integrated health systems may be rethinking relationships with home health agencies, home infusion companies, hospice agencies and behavioral health firms to achieve a more seamless delivery of service post-discharge.
A notable risk will be in the malpractice arena. The analysis found that 73 percent of health systems will self-insure combined hospital-physician malpractice risk.
"Our findings reflect that when hospitals team up with physicians, they are effectively doubling down on medical malpractice risk," said Erik Johnson, author of the analysis and Health Care Practice leader for Aon Global Risk Consulting in a statement. "As a result, medical malpractice for new physician-hospital arrangements will be a critical issue."
Follow HFN associate editor Stephanie Bouchard on Twitter @SBouchardHFN.