Private equity investments in health care raise several clinical and ethical questions about private equity’s influence on clinicians’ practices.

Private equity companies have no ethical or legal duties to patients and strive to maximize financial returns for their investors.

Dr Amber R. Comer joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Dr Jake Young: “Physician Engagement With Private Equity Firms.”

Private equity investments in health care have grown to over $750 billion in the past decade and include every segment of the US health sector.

Private equity margin maximization and profit-making strategies focus on acquisition, short-term ownership, and sale of health care entities, including residency program opportunities.

Preethi Subbiah joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Dr Richard M. Scheffler: “When Does Private Equity Ownership of Physician Practices Violate ‘First, Do No Harm’?”

One driver of the corporatization of medicine has been private equity firms’ acquisitions of physician practices.

More frequent use of robotic-assisted surgeries means we need to ask more questions about care quality and equity, informed consent, and conflicts of interest.

Dr Jake Young joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article: “AMA Code of Medical Ethics’ Opinions Related to Robotic Surgery.” 

Conflicts of interest must be acknowledged with sincerity and earnestness and managed such that the conflict is eliminated or, at least, credibly mitigated.