Proportion, Type, and Characteristics of Physician Entrepreneurship in Massachusetts

Current State of Brazilian Neurosurgery: Evaluation of Burden of Care and Case Volume

BACKGROUND

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a heavier burden of neurosurgical diseases than high-income countries. Brazil, a growing middle-income country, holds promise as a health care market. However, there exists a lack of information to characterize the state of neurosurgical practice and access to care in Brazil. This study aimed to characterize neurosurgical practice in Brazil and identify barriers to care.

METHODS

A collaborative survey was developed with Brazilian neurosurgeons and distributed by the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery. The survey gathered demographic information, practice characteristics, case volume, referral patterns, income sources, and assessed barriers using a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

One-hundred and forty-nine neurosurgeons participated (response rate: 17.5%), representing various states in Brazil. Neurosurgeons practiced in more than 4 different hospital systems on average, with most consultations and procedures occurring in public hospitals. Common procedures included tumor surgeries, general neurosurgery, spine surgeries, trauma surgeries, and hydrocephalus management. Equipment shortage and systemic issues were identified as major barriers to care.

CONCLUSIONS

Neurosurgical practice in Brazil exhibits diverse age distribution, widespread distribution across states, and involvement in both public and private hospitals. Survey insights shed light on neurosurgical workload and neurosurgical practice characterization. Lack of equipment and inadequate postoperative resources pose significant barriers to care. The findings highlight the need for investments in equipment, critical care facilities, and improved health care system coordination to enhance access to neurosurgical care in Brazil.

Physician entrepreneurship: A study of early career physicians' founding motivations and actions

The literature on professional socialization suggests that their training and socialization lead physicians to prioritize professionally prescribed activities over entrepreneurial activity. This leaves unexplained how and why early career physicians would engage in entrepreneurship, a behavior that many healthcare organizations now seek to encourage. To address this shortcoming, we conducted an inductive study, augmented with survey data, of UK National Health Service physicians involved in entrepreneurial projects. We detail a process of physician entrepreneurship underpinned by organizational improvement motives and identification with the organization. Entrepreneurs breached constraining roles and formed ventures which originated as intrapreneurial initiatives but shifted to individual-level resourcing. Entrepreneurial behaviors coincided with physicians' commitment to remain with the NHS albeit with adjustments to their career plans. Overall, the study suggests that physicians manage the pressure exerted by professional socialization by adapting both the kind of entrepreneurial projects and career pathways they pursue.

Facilitators and barriers to physicians' entrepreneurial ventures in major Japanese cities: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The Japanese healthcare system currently faces numerous challenges, including a super-aging society and an excessive burden on medical workers; therefore, the need for innovative solutions from healthcare ventures to tackle these issues has increased. Meanwhile, as physicians play important roles in healthcare ventures, the need for Japanese physician entrepreneurs is more important than ever. Given the lack of research examining barriers to physicians starting ventures and what skills, knowledge, and surrounding environments act as facilitators, this study aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers faced by physicians to start ventures.

METHODS

Between September and November 2019 and in May 2021, qualitative interviews were conducted with 33 participants, which included eight physician entrepreneurs; two administrative officers at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; three faculty members at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (in-depth interviews); and 20 medical students (focus group discussions). The interviews were deductively coded based on the social ecological model. The inductive approach was applied to coding any knowledge necessary to start a business. We conducted member checking with three physician entrepreneurs and seven medical students to improve our results' credibility.

RESULTS

The factors influencing a physician's decision to launch a new business include their willingness to contribute to society, the unique environment in which an individual is placed while in medical school and afterward, negative aspects of the lack of diversity in physicians' careers, the financial stability provided by a medical license, and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed facilitators and barriers to physicians' entrepreneurial ventures. Knowledge about these factors might be useful in supporting physicians to launch or become involved in healthcare ventures.