U. S. researchers have found that doctors who invest in an outpatient surgery center perform on average twice as many surgeries.

Study
author Dr. John Hollingsworth of the University of Michigan Health
System said in a statement, "Our data suggest that physician behavior
changes after investment in an outpatient facility. Through what some
have labeled the 'triple dip,' physician owners of surgery centers not
only collect a professional fee for the services provided, but also
share in their facility's profits and the increased value of their
investment. This creates a potential conflict of interest."

Hollingsworth
further said in a statement, in the last 10 years, the number of U. S.
outpatient surgery centers increased nearly 50 percent, largely driven
by the investment of physicians, who had a stake in 83 percent of these
facilities.

It was also found by the study that outpatient
surgical owners operated on an average of twice as many patients as
non-owners and, while caseloads increased overall during the study
period, the increases were more rapid and dramatic among the outpatient
facility owners. (With Inputs from Agencies)