The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that by 2034, a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians is expected, with deficits ranging from 10,300 to 35,600 in specialized fields like radiology, anesthesiology, neurology, and more. To view the full report, download the white paper below.
Job Outlook
There are 29,250 active radiologists in the United States, and 53% are 55 or older. Between 2021 and 2031, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 4% growth in the job outlook for radiologists.
Contribuiting Factors
An Aging Population and Workforce
According to the United States Census Bureau, by 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 or older, and by 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time in the United States. This drastic population change can cause even more pressure on radiologists and medical imaging overall. An aging population has two main effects: a heightened demand for radiology services and retirement among older radiologists.
Burnout
Burnout among radiologists has remained high over the years due to increased demand for imaging coupled with COVID-19-related burnout. This year, 36% of radiologists reported experiencing burnout. Among this group, 44% emphasized that burnout had a severe impact on their lives. Download the full report to gain insight into the primary factors contributing to radiologists' burnout.
Reimbursement Rates
Reimbursement rates have been steadily decreasing over the years, causing concerns among radiologists. This has put significant financial pressure on radiology groups, which are no longer receiving the reimbursements they once did. To maintain their income, radiologists often find themselves doing double the work, which inevitably leads to burnout.
Addressing The Rising Demand
Locum Tenens: Locum tenens radiologists play a vital role in providing temporary staffing solutions for hospitals, diagnostic centers, physician offices, and other healthcare facilities.
Transition Services: As the demand for radiologists continues to heighten, many hospitals and healthcare facilities have begun to transition from an outsourced to employed model to ensure they are fully staffed and can meet patient demands. The Medicus Transition Program helps bridge the gap to provide stability and reliability when transitioning from an outsourced to an employed model.
- The Medicus Transition Program provides healthcare leaders with the flexibility to fill their staffing gaps quickly and efficiently while simultaneously being able to control their costs.
- The Transition Program has been successfully implemented across numerous health systems nationwide, with our clients overwhelmingly favoring this approach over the traditional locum tenens model.
AI In Radiology: As the demand for radiologists only increases, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into radiology practices has proved helpful. AI can assist in workflow, automatically handling repetitive tasks, allowing radiologists to focus more of their time on diagnosis.
Teleradiology: Helps improve access to care in underserved areas but can help enable timely diagnosis and treatment. One of the pressing challenges arising from the adoption of teleradiology is the task of enticing radiologists to return to on-site practice. To learn more about the strategies aimed at addressing this issue and to explore the projected radiology shortage further, we invite you to view our complete white paper by filling out the form.
