Locum tenens has become a crucial aspect of modern healthcare, as providers step forward to fill temporary staffing vacancies and ensure patients get necessary care. Like many other industries, healthcare was hit hard by the pandemic as demand increased and many left the field.
The need for physicians is increasing, and it shows no signs of stopping. Read on for some key takeaways in this report on the state of locum tenens.
More Doctors Are Getting Into the Industry
Increasingly, physicians are choosing as-needed positions. Since 2015, there’s been a nearly 90% increase in locum tenens activity. Whether they take on additional shifts after working a permanent position or devote themselves to locums full-time, doctors are capitalizing on patients’ demands for quality care.
Physicians Start Locums Early
Locum tenens doctors are typically in the middle to late stages of their medical careers, but some took their first temporary assignments within their first decade in the field. Before 2020, more doctors worked locums part-time than full-time, but that trend is changing quickly.
Money and Lifestyle are Powerful Motivators
Doctors turn to locums for various reasons, such as income supplementation or to stay busy while seeking a permanent placement. Life changes, easier scheduling, and personal preferences also play a role.
Work-life balance is a significant factor for temporary physicians. Locums let doctors schedule work around life, instead of the other way around.
Facilities are Turning to Locum Tenens for Care Continuity
Organizations are turning to locum tenens for several reasons, with over 80% using locums for coverage until permanent physicians are found. Other reasons include ensuring continuity of care when doctors depart and filling in for those on vacation. With as-needed doctors, patients will always get the care they need.
Experts’ Opinions on Locum Tenens are Positive
Most hospital leaders have positive impressions of the locum tenens physicians who have served their organizations. These doctors step up to meet crucial needs, and the services they provide are invaluable.
Most Locums are Primary Care Physicians
While the list of in-demand medical specialties changed substantially during the pandemic, those changes have tapered off. The number one locum tenens specialty is primary care, with oncology, surgical care, pulmonology, and cardiology rounding out the top five.
Locum Tenens Physicians are Needed Everywhere
Where the demand for temporary physicians is concerned, California is at the top of the list, followed closely by Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Utah, Texas, and Florida also have thousands of open positions.
Staffing Agencies Play a Vital Role
In the locum tenens industry, staffing agencies play a key role in connecting clinics, hospitals, and other facilities with qualified physicians. These agencies serve the healthcare industry by maintaining vast networks of licensed medical professionals.
More Changes are Coming, and Locum Tenens Doctors are Ready
While temporary staffing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every challenge in the healthcare industry, decades of data prove that locum tenens is a viable, short- to medium-term solution that fills gaps and eases the burden on overworked permanent staff.
The healthcare field is changing, and locum tenens industry is changing with it. As patient demand increases and the medical industry continues to manage staffing shortages, locum tenens doctors will continue to play a role in ensuring continuity of care, alleviating physician burnout, and increasing organizational profitability.