How the Physician Shortage is Impacting Locum Tenen Physicians

Over the past few years, healthcare organizations such as

the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP), and the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) are projecting a deficit of up to 159,000 physicians by the year 2020. This shortage, in part, seems to be linked to the Medicare funding cap implemented in 1997. That year, the federal government placed a cap on Medicare funding of hospital residency programs, and since then the number of United States trained physicians has only grown marginally. Marginal physician growth, however, has not stopped population growth or the population from aging, two factors which have significantly driven up the demand for physician services. Taking into consideration this shortage, healthcare facilities will begin to rely more heavily on non-traditional physicians, including locum tenens providers.

          Today, facilities typically use locum tenens providers for a variety of reasons, typically when gaps in the medical staff arise. Traditionally, healthcare facilities would use locum tenens physicians while employed physicians were sick, on vacation, or otherwise temporarily absent. Today, however, a survey revealed the most common reason to use locum tenens providers is while a search for a permanent physician is underway, illustrating how the physician shortage is directly impacting the demand for locum tenens physicians.

          According to a recent survey, facilities planning on incorporating a higher volume of locum tenens physicians may be in luck. The survey found around fourteen percent of physicians plan to work locum tenens in the future. Physicians of all ages work locum tenens, a majority of them, however, are senior doctors using locum tenens as a way to slow down or semi-retire. Significantly, according to the AMA Physician Master File, over one-third of working physicians today are over the age of fifty five. This means more and more physicians may embrace locum tenens in the future, thus benefitting facilities that may have trouble finding permanent physicians.

The use of locum tenens physicians is beneficial in many ways. For the locum tenens doctors, it is a way to focus more on patient care, rather than reimbursement or other administrative duties associated with employment. For the facilities, the use of locum tenens providers ensures a continuity of care for patients, as well as a continual revenue stream. Facilities can also use locum tenens providers as a way to prevent employed physician burnout by allowing their permanent staff increased flexibility or time off. As the physician shortage increases, effective healthcare facilities will need to embrace the strategic use of locum tenens physicians, and Medestar is here to help!