Physicians are in short supply. They are costly. Is the APP the answer to the CMO's workforce and budget challenges?
Welcome to our July 2024 cover story. Each month, our editors will be taking a deep dive into the topics that matter most to you in our cover story series. From ways to win the payer/provider war to AI governance, we have a lot of stories up our sleeves this year.
So, what did our team look into this month? Well, it’s time for physician leaders to say the unspoken part out loud: There will never be enough physicians. And even if you can find them and keep them, you can’t pay them all.
The AAMC estimates that in the next 12 years, the U.S. will be 86,000 physicians short, with more than half of those being primary care physicians. The future is a zero sum game, where the clinical need of an aging population runs up against falling numbers of physicians.
To fill those gaps, health systems and hospitals are elevating APPs and giving them more responsibilities. The resulting change in care team design is forcing CMOs and other executives to think about how they manage their physicians to ensure a productive workplace and positive clinical outcomes.
Since this shift, CMOs have begun to wonder if they need as many physicians as they thought, especially since the APPs are sometimes carrying out the majority of the tasks.
So this begs the question, is it time for CMOs to scale back their physicians and usher in more APPs instead? While the question is in part written in jest, it doesn’t mean there aren’t pros and cons to considering APP-lead teams. Our CMO editor Chris Cheney dug into what the experts have to say.
Did you miss our June cover story on turning to automation to streamline revenue cycle operations? No worries, you can read it here.
Amanda Norris is the Director of Content for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In the primary care setting, physicians need to work with patients who have complex conditions and diagnosis needs, but APPs can do this too.
In the specialty practice setting, physicians often establish care plans, but APPs are called upon to carry out to fruition.
In the inpatient setting, a physician lead is often responsible for the care of patients, but APPs are right beside them.
This begs the question—do CMOs need to keep hiring physicians?