Physician Shortage to Quadruple Within the Decade
April 19th, 2011 0 Min readIn 2020, there will be an estimated shortage of 100,000 physicians, with 45,000 of those being primary care doctors. With our population aging at a more rapid speed as ever before, we need MORE physicians. The concern is the physician population itself is aging. The number of doctors retiring or cutting down on their hours is increasing. 1/3 of all physicians will be retiring within the next 10 years and there will only be an increase of 7% in new physicians. The demand outweighs the supply.
The most affected areas will be rural regions as well as inner city areas. The introduction of new healthcare reform could put additional stress on the shortage.
An increase in recruiting is needed to ensure facilities are well staffed and are providing patients the healthcare necessary. A physician working too many hours without adequate time off can result in higher chance for malpractice concerns.
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