A locum tenens hospitalist or nurse will be more common in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world by 2025, as the segment would become the fastest growing sector of the global healthcare staffing market.
Grand View Research released a report that estimated the market’s value at $43.6 billion. Locum tenens staff will be more popular as employers acknowledge its cost-efficiency, as well as healthcare professionals who recognize its benefits.
U.S. market
The advantages for professionals who work as locum tenens include short-term assignments and flexible schedules. It also provides them with travel opportunities and a more diverse experience by working in different places. U.S. hospitals that struggle to fill job vacancies should consider hiring this kind of employees, due to an aging population.
Geriatricians will be more in demand because of more senior citizens not just in the country, but also worldwide, according to the report. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) even said that there might be a shortage of 150,000 physicians in the U.S. in the next 15 years. For this reason, the country should make it easier for foreign doctors to practice and hold work visas.
International expertise
The Grand View report noted that North America would likely remain as the biggest market for healthcare staffing in the coming years. However, the U.S. may risk having a shortage of up to 35,000 doctors in the next 10 years if it adopts residency laws against foreign-born doctors.
These professionals from abroad are also necessary, as America’s population becomes more diverse. Hence, doctors with different backgrounds will be able to treat the unique healthcare needs of each patient.
People will age, and this fact will continue to drive demand healthcare professionals, which is why short-staffed hospitals and other facilities should think of ways on how to solve their workforce problems.
