Physician supply
The number of physicians needed in a given context depends on several different factors, including the demographics and epidemiology of the local population, the numbers and types of other health care practitioners working in the system, and the policies and goals in place of the health care system.
On the KevinMD medical news blog, for example, it has been argued that inefficiencies introduced into the healthcare system, often driven by government initiatives, have reduced the number of patients physicians can see.
Legal factors can include allowing only licensed physicians to perform surgeries but nurses or doctors to administer other surgical care.
Especially in developing nations, health care spending is closely related to the growth of the gross domestic product (GDP).
In the United States, the American Medical Association says that federal funding is the most important limitation in the supply of physicians.
[19] Limited scholarships and financial aid to medical students may exacerbate that problem,[20] and low expected pay for practicing physicians in some countries may convince some that the cost is not appropriate.
The number of working physicians can be affected by: The demand for physician services is influenced by the local job market (e.g. the number of job openings in local health care facilities), the demographics and epidemiology of the population being served, the nature of the health policies in place for health care delivery and financing in a jurisdiction, and also the international job market (e.g. the increasing demand in other countries puts pressure on local competition).
As of 2010, the WHO proposes a ratio of at least one primary care physician per 1000 people to sufficiently attend the basic needs of the population in a developed country.
[3] For example, population aging has been attributed with increased demand for physician services in many countries, as more previously young and healthy people become older with increased likelihood of a variety of chronic medical conditions associated with ageing, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, and some types of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.
In the United States, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has expanded health insurance coverage and access to an estimated 32 million United States citizens, increasing the demand of physicians, especially primary care physicians, across the country.
[30] Physician shortages have been linked to a number of effects, including: There are thousands of women in the United States who live in counties that do not have obstetrical care available.
[39] Awareness to the lack of access to care is increasing in Arizona, and the Phoenix area seems to be heading toward a maternity desert.
Some have been tested and applied in national health workforce policies and plans, while others remain subject to ongoing debate.
However, a bias would clearly exist in their estimates as expanding medical education serves the direct financial needs of the AAMC.
Additionally, smaller non-profits that work regionally around the world have also implemented task-shifting strategies in order to increase impact.
