Physicians' trust in leadership erodes: survey

Physicians are losing trust in their employers, a consultancy found.

A survey of 416 physicians and doctors of osteopathic medicine found that 54% were doubtful their leaders were honest and transparent, compared with 52% last year, according to a poll conducted this fall by consultancy Jarrard. Three-quarters of the respondents were either employed directly by health systems or part of a system-affiliated practice.

Related: Why private equity-backed players are losing doctors

Here are five things to know about why physicians are growing more skeptical of their employers.

1. Trust in patient-centered decision-making faltered

Physicians are losing trust in leaders' ability to make decisions that benefit patients.

Only 47% of clinicians said they had a great deal or fair amount of trust that their leaders were making decisions that were good for patients, compared with 53% last year.

Employers need to bring physicians into decision-making processes, said Isaac Squyres, a partner at Jarrard. 

"Leaders are not doing a good enough job explaining the 'why' around decisions and involving physicians in the process," he said. 

2. There’s a trust gap between nonprofit and investor-owned organizations

Physicians linked to nonprofit systems or independent practices had less trust in their employers than those tied to investor-owned companies.

Only 38% of physicians at nonprofit organizations had a great deal or fair amount of trust that employers were honest and transparent, compared with 51% of doctors at investor-owned companies. That could be related to physicians having a financial stake in investor-owned companies, Squyres said.

"If you are working for an investor-owned organization, it may be more clear where the organization is going," he said. "You may have skin in the game too, in a way you don't at a nonprofit."

3. That divide persists in operational, financial decisions

Nonprofit-affiliated physicians also had less trust than those at investor-owned companies regarding their leaders’ financial and operational decision-making.

Only 36% of clinicians at nonprofit organizations had a great deal or fair amount of trust that employers were making good financial decisions, compared with 54% of doctors at investor-owned companies.

There was a similar divide among doctors’ views on how leaders are setting up their organizations for long-term success.

4. Physicians are more loyal to investor-owned companies

Doctors tied to investor-owned companies were more loyal to their executive team than those linked to nonprofits.

Two-thirds of clinicians reported a high degree of loyalty to their investor-owned companies, compared with 43% of clinicians affiliated with nonprofits.

5. Job satisfaction is declining

Physicians' job satisfaction is dropping, potentially fueling unionization efforts.

Last year, 88% of physicians said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their jobs. That has declined to 77%.

In addition, physicians in private practices were twice as likely to report high job satisfaction compared with those working for nonprofit or investor-owned organizations.

That trend may help explain why more doctors across the country have unionized over the past two years. Nearly two-thirds of clinicians said they supported physician unions.