The pandemic has changed the way physicians work and live. And as case numbers continue to soar after a significant downfall in the late spring/early summer, many experts predict the country’s next wave could be upon us.
How has the pandemic impacted healthcare employment trends, and how can the industry apply these trends to what lies ahead? A new study in the 2021 Physician and Advanced Practice Salary Report looks at current and future employment trends, how it impacts patient access to care and more.
A total of 2,300 respondents—both physicians and advanced practitioners who were self-selected and spanned all 50 states—took part in the study.
Currently, 14% of providers are still unemployed after being laid off last year. The study found that in the future, 41% of clinicians hope to make a job change in the next year, which could significantly impact the next potential wave of COVID-19. In addition, nearly two-thirds (63%) of clinicians have taken time off from practicing or are planning to do so in the next few months.
The study also found that demand for specialists have skyrocketed since the pandemic. In fact, child and adolescent psychiatrists are in high demand due to the impact the pandemic has had on adolescent mental health, with almost half of the specialists reporting an increase in workload.
To no surprise, burnout has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Overall, 39% of clinicians reported feeling burnt out and increased levels of stress with certain specialties (oncology, hospital medicine, critical care medicine and emergency medicine) reportedly feeling the most burned-out.
As burnout and physician demand increases, more clinicians are looking for alternative ways to practice. Freelance providers, or locum tenens, are given the flexibility and freedom to create and manage their own schedules that, in turn, reduces burnout while allowing them to continue practicing medicine.
Hyr Medical helps physicians get on the road to the freelance lifestyle while giving employers a transparent way to provide quality physicians where they’re needed most.
