Rates of preventable hospital admissions are as much as one-third lower for small physician practices than for larger practices, according to a new Commonwealth Fund–supported study published in Health Affairs. The study, led by Lawrence P. Casalino, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medical College, finds that practices with one or two physicians have 33 percent fewer preventable admissions than those with 10 to 19 doctors—appearing to counter the commonly held assumption that larger medical groups generally provide better-quality care than do solo and other small practices.
In Health Care, Bigger Isn't Always Better
