…..Medicine is a vital industry that impacts every single person all over the world – it is highly complicated, requires great knowledge and technical skill, as well as incredible sacrifice in order to survive and thrive in. There has always been great demand for progress and technological innovation to positively impact the affordability, quality, access, and effectivity of healthcare in general affecting and creating trends that lead to changes in how things are done. So what should doctors be aware of this new year? Check out these five key trends that will make an impact this 2020.
- The Rise Of Virtual Care – Convenience is the name of the game in 2020 – and how best to care for patients from within the comforts of their own home or office? Virtual Care is a relatively new style of patient care made possible by recent advancements in technology which allow doctors to “see” patients remotely by using mobile devices like cell phones that permit video calling. Doctors can listen to a patient explain their symptoms and can give a recommendation for treatment if the case is not serious. This will not only make it easier for people to consult their doctors, it will also help free up space in clinics, hospitals, and private practices because there will be no more need for patients to come in and line up in person in order to get evaluated for minor conditions.
- Expect More Patients That Consult Dr. Google – In the past, the only way for people to know about Medicine was to attend school. These days, everything can be found on the Internet – and that includes detailed information on diseases, medicines, and even doctors themselves. People have never been more health conscious, and with the information they need available with a few clicks of a mouse, it’s no wonder there has been a steady rise in patients that engage in the use of search engines in order to learn more about the symptoms they are feeling. With the way things are going, it doesn’t look like that number will go down anytime in the near future.
- Increased Demand For More Specialists – It has become more common for recruiting assignments to target specialist doctors rather than primary care physicians, and that has increasingly been the case for the past few years. This is mainly due to shortages in many areas of specialty, such as surgery, psychiatry, infectious diseases, and more.
- Shortage Of Physicians Will Remain – The demand for medical services continues to increase every year – but the amount of doctors will not be able to keep up. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) expects that the demand for doctors will exceed its supply by a whopping 121,900 full-time equivalents by 2032. This is due largely in part due to improvements in healthcare that have played a part in extending the duration of human life, creating a larger population of elderly people that require more medical maintenance than younger people.
- Physician Salaries Expected To Increase – Relevant to the physician shortage, doctors will be able to ask for increased salaries due to the basic principle of supply and demand. With so much demand for medical services, and not enough doctors to go around, those that are available will be able to charge a premium for their services. Since there is no end in sight to the physician shortage, this also does not seem like a trend that will disappear anytime soon.
…..With this ongoing shortage of physicians, every hour you spend as a doctor matters. Don’t lose time working on things that you don’t have to. Come, talk to TukkoMed, and let us get you up to speed on how we can help you care for your patients to the best of your ability.