The US physician shortage shows no signs of stopping—what can cardiology leaders do?
The physician shortage that U.S. hospitals and health systems have been dreading for years is already here—and its impact on cardiology could be quite significant.
These are just some of the takeaways from a new report developed by AMN Healthcare’s physician solutions division, formerly known as Merritt Hawkins.
“The factors driving the physician shortage, including aging population and provider demographics, as well as pervasive population ill-health, are long-standing and are likely to persist,” the report’s authors explained. “Because the time needed to educate and train physicians is lengthy (often 12 years or more of collegiate and post-collegiate training) increasing the supply of new physicians will take time, even if additional funding to do so is made available. Focus should therefore be placed on what can be done to increase the supply of physicians in the short-term, including enhanced workforce management models and improved working conditions for physicians that con- tribute to physician retention.”
AMN Healthcare’s researchers explored updated data from several resources, including the Association of the American Medical Colleges, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and U.S. Census Bureau. According to recent HRSA projections, for example, the United States is already short more than 50,000 physicians, and that number could surpass 80,000 by 2035. The report also includes projected physician deficits for different specialties based on basic supply and demand. Cardiology could be hit by a deficit of 17% by 2035, for example, while even higher deficits could be seen in thoracic surgery (31%) and ophthalmology (30%).
The report also examines different signs that cardiology is already being hit hard by a physician shortage. Approximately 54% of general cardiologists are aged 55 or older, for example, meaning a substantial number of them will be retiring as the years go by. Among primary care providers, on the other hand, the percentage of physicians aged 55 years or older ranges from 38% to 40%, suggesting the shortage may take a bit longer to impact care for those patients.
Another key takeaway from the 17-page report is the fact that the average wait time for a cardiologist appointment is nearly one month. Considering how important a person’s cardiovascular health is to their overall well-being, this number may be seen as concerning—especially since the average wait time is much longer in some areas.
“The shortage of physicians can cause patients to grow discouraged and put off needed diagnostic tests and exams until their conditions become acute,” the report’s authors wrote. “In some cases, patient care delayed can be patient care denied.”
How do you deliver high-quality care during a physician shortage?
The analysis does offer some potential solutions for navigating through this troublesome time. Getting more out of advanced practice providers and continuing to use locum tenens physicians, for instance, are two ways hospitals and health systems can maintain high-quality care while dealing with this ongoing shortage.
Healthcare leaders should also be supporting their physicians by improving working conditions. Burnout and turnover are both major issues impacting hospitals and health systems right now—going the extra mile to ensure your physicians are happy and comfortable could make a titanic impact on the likelihood of a doctor experiencing feelings of burnout or wanting to change jobs.
Click here to view the full report from AMN Healthcare.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.