Public support for a Law on Physician Dual Practice in Poland – a nationwide cross-sectional survey

Introduction and Objective.Holding multiple jobs in the health system by a single healthcare professional is commonly defined as a physician dual practice (PDP).The aim of the study is to assess social attitudes towards the introduction of legal regulations regarding the employment of medical doctors in the public or private healthcare system in Poland, along with identifying factors related to opinions on the number of workplaces for doctors.Materials and Method.A nationwide cross-sectional survey with computer-assisted web interviews was carried out in August 2025 among 1,162 adults aged 18-96 years.A self-prepared questionnaire was used.Results.Among the respondents (n=1162), 39.8% declared that they had heard that a public debate is currently taking place in Poland regarding PDP.Support for the introduction of regulations on physician dual practice was declared by 43.4% of respondents (20.2% 'rather support' and 23.2% 'strongly support').Among the respondents, 55.1% declared support (32.0% rather support and 23.1% strongly support) for the idea of offering higher remuneration to medical doctors who choose to work exclusively at a single medical facility.A total of 38.9% of respondents believed that regulation on PDP will lead to improved quality of care and increased accessibility of medical services.Male gender (aOR:1.97;95%CI:1.53-2.53;p<0.001), age 60 years and over (aOR:1.68;95%CI:1.06-2.66;p=0.03), secondary education (aOR:1.33;95%CI:1.02-1.73;p=0.03), and living in cities from 20,000 to 99,999 residents (aOR:1.60;95%CI:1.04-2.46;p=0.04) were significantly associated with higher public support for a law on physician dual practice.Conclusions.The study showed a low level of public awareness and support for new legal regulations on the organization of the healthcare system in Poland, and restrictions on physician dual practice.