Amidst the pressing challenges confronting the health care landscape in the United States, the physician shortage stands out as a critical issue demanding innovative solutions. The Association of American Medical College’s latest report projects that the nation’s physician shortage could reach up to 86,000 by 2036. Burnout, which was further exacerbated by the pandemic, a large portion of physicians nearing retirement, limited medical school enrollment, and population growth are all impacting physician supply and demand.

In the coming years, as staffing shortages persist, health systems will likely be in an arms race for talent, pricing each other out, which is a no-win game. However, in this era marked by technological advancement, workforce management technology offers a beacon of hope for health systems by providing insight into utilization and staffing data, allowing health systems to better understand their staffing constraints and optimize their workforce efficiently.

The industry-wide impact of physician shortages

Leaders are under immense pressure to lower costs, boost operational efficiency, and improve patient care. Addressing the physician shortage is the answer to the growing challenges facing varying facets of the health care delivery system.

First, with fewer physicians available, patients are facing longer wait times for appointments, delayed diagnoses, and limited access to specialized care. The problem is only exacerbated in rural communities facing additional challenges like fewer facilities and limited access to specialists, thus causing a widening gap of health disparities in underserved communities.

Addressing the physician shortage is also crucial for maintaining the overall quality of health care delivery. When there are fewer physicians to meet patient demand, overworked and overstressed providers may experience burnout, leading to decreased job satisfaction and compromised patient care. By ensuring an adequate supply of physicians, health care facilities can alleviate the strain on existing staff, promote a healthier work-life balance, and uphold excellent patient care standards.

A lack of physicians also has broader implications for health care system sustainability. As demand for health care services continues to rise, particularly with an aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, a shortage of physicians can strain healthcare resources and drive up costs. According to estimates from CMS ‘ Office of the Actuary, this can have ripple effects throughout the economy, impacting productivity and healthcare spending, which is expected to reach $7.2 trillion by 2031.

Workforce management technology’s role in solving staff shortages

With physician shortages being a massive industry pain point, workforce management technology can play a key role in providing standardized and accessible data so health care organizations can effectively manage labor costs, provider performance, and capacity. For example, optimizing scheduling with advanced algorithms can efficiently allocate available physicians and plan for future staffing needs 12+ months out, minimizing gaps in coverage and maximizing productivity. By automating the scheduling process and considering factors such as provider preferences, patient demand, and clinical requirements, a modern workforce management solution ensures that health care organizations can make the most effective use of their existing physician workforce, and plan well in advance for future staffing needs that come with a long hiring cycle.

Enhancing efficiency is another key benefit of introducing this type of technology to address the shortage challenge. With features such as automated shift swapping, real-time updates, and mobile access, technology streamlines communication and coordination among health care teams. This reduces administrative burdens, eliminates scheduling conflicts, and enables seamless collaboration, allowing physicians to focus more time and energy on patient care rather than administrative tasks.

Lastly, workforce management technology improves work-life balance. By promoting flexible and autonomous scheduling practices and mitigating physician burnout, these solutions help enhance job satisfaction and retention rates among health care professionals. This, in turn, contributes to a more sustainable and resilient health care workforce, reducing turnover rates and mitigating the impact of the physician shortage on patient care delivery.

A piece of the puzzle, but more work is needed.

Technology like this is a major resource for health care organizations and hospitals as the industry continues to face shortage challenges in the coming years, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. The pandemic’s effects continue to ripple through the industry as health care professionals leave the field and the incoming professionals feel uneasy about entering the workforce.

Despite efforts to expand medical school enrollment, the number of students who can be accommodated is still limited due to factors such as faculty shortages, funding constraints, and accreditation requirements. This limits the growth of the physician workforce and contributes to the shortage.

That said, workforce management technology can help fill gaps for health care organizations in the midst of staffing shortages while also making an organization look attractive to younger generations by providing schedule flexibility and autonomy to join and hopefully start to level out the workforce.

Patrick Hunt is a physician executive.