Over 40 percent of the 542 medical practice executives who responded to a Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) questionnaire reported that they have integrated, or are planning to informally integrate, their practice with other health care organizations.

Only 27 percent of them said that they already have or plan to formally integrate through mergers with another physician-owned practice or through selling to a hospital or health system.

"It's not surprising that medical practices are exploring ways to accommodate patients and combat mounting administrative pressures - and are looking beyond the walls of their organization to do so," Dr. Susan L. Turney, president and chief executive officer of MGMA, said in a release. Working better with other care providers will help them to be successful in the new value-based environment, she added.

All of the respondents listed the transition to ICD-10, handling operating costs and getting ready for the new reimbursement models as challenges that put a greater amount of financial risk on their practice.

But they are overcoming those challenges by engaging patients in order to get better outcomes, and implementing new technologies that enable the patients to communicate through patient portals, emails, website and video conferencing.

"It's encouraging to see that medical practices are being proactive in this changing environment and leveraging new technologies to respond to patient needs and expectations," Turney said in a statement.