The new year is here, and the staffing trends in healthcare for 2022 have already begun to take shape. The best steps a healthcare organization can take now are preparing for future demands and accounting for the market factors that are sure to be in play.
Below are four key trends that will impact healthcare hiring in the first and second quarters of this year:
Healthcare Technology
The burgeoning telehealth movement of 2021 will continue into 2022 and beyond. As healthcare organizations balance in-person with virtual care demands, technology will be in high demand, as will health tech talent. Cloud technology, health data interoperability, and digital transformation of healthcare contact centers, including the adoption and implementation of chatbots and integrated voice response, to name a few, will be trending.
Healthcare organizations that prioritize the patient and provider experience through technology will come out on top when it comes to attracting much-needed talent to the organization.
Burnout
Sixty-one percent (61%) of physicians reported experiencing burnout in 2021, up from 40 percent in 2018. (Becker’s Hospital Review) Unfortunately, this rate of burnout is likely to continue well into 2022. Healthcare, in particular, has been impacted by the “Great Resignation” trend happening across all sectors. Additionally, a growing number of physicians are considering early retirement, adding to the overall shortage of talent in healthcare. Physician burnout and decreased job satisfaction are direct factors driving the change when looking forward to our 2022 medical staffing landscape.
To combat physician burnout next year, empower your organization to focus on providing quality patient-centered care. This can be achieved through consolidating and streamlining manual processes that do not directly relate to patient care. Optimizing the locum and permanent provider experience will help decrease burnout rates and improve overall job satisfaction. In addition to efficient processes and technology, organizations that set realistic expectations, communicate, and care about their employee’s well-being will win when it comes to retaining and prolonging critical physician talent.
COVID
The omicron variant is officially here in the U.S., and just in time for winter. In addition to preparing for traditional cold and flu season, healthcare organizations also need to plan for the ongoing uncertainties surrounding COVID-19. Masks, vaccination, quarantining, and other varying safety protocols will continue to characterize the healthcare and societal experience for the foreseeable future.
Forecasting scheduling and locum staffing requirements can help prepare healthcare organizations for the unknown as the global pandemic continues to mutate and impact daily life.
Supply and Demand
The imbalance of supply versus demand in the healthcare market will continue into 2022 and impact not only permanent providers but locum tenens as well. In fact, Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) is projecting the temporary healthcare staffing spend to increase nearly $25 billion by the end of 2021. By comparison, in 2011, temporary healthcare staffing spend was nearly one-third of that amount – at $9 billion. The majority of healthcare organizations today use temporary resources, like locum tenens, as part of their overall staffing strategy to combat provider shortages and challenges.
To overcome this supply versus demand roadblock, healthcare facilities can map out their current providers’ work availability to appropriately budget and plan for the right mix of locum talent. Knowing exactly how many providers are required for Q1 & Q2 will ensure your facility is fully staffed and running efficiently.
Filling schedules next year will continue to be a challenge. Therefore, it is essential to plan and strategize with a staffing partner who can provide critical insights as well as much-needed talent.
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