Dateline: 04/08/04
Physicians in the U.S. will spend over 40 percent of their time treating elderly and minority patients by the year 2020, according to a recent report released by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Titled "Changing Demographics: Implications for Physicians, Nurses, and Other Health Workers," the report reviewed and summarized literature on U.S. demographic projections and their implication for the health workforce.
Selected findings focused on:
Aging Population: The elderly (age 65 and over) currently represent 13 percent of the U.S. population, expected to rise to 17 percent by 2020. By 2020 almost 40 percent of a physician's time will be spent treating the elderly. The health workforce also is aging and many health professionals are expected to retire at a time when demand for services is on the rise. Racial and Ethnic Diversity: Demand for health care services by minorities is expected to increase as the percentage of minorities in the U.S. population grows. Therefore, the time physicians spend treating minority patients is expected to grow from some 31 percent in 2000 to 40 percent by 2020. As the number of minorities grows their participation in the workforce will rise similarly, causing minority under-representation in health care to shrink. Geographic Location of the Population: The number of people living in urban areas is going up. At the same time, data show many Americans living in rural areas that are designated as physician shortage areas. Differences in population growth rates and health care workers? supply and demand highlight the importance of developing models that can provide state-level and substate-level workforce projections.
The size and characteristics of the future health workforce will be determined by the health care environment and education system, economic developments, new technology, regulatory and legislative actions, epidemiological factors and demographics.
HRSA?s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in the Bureau of Health Professions produced the report. To obtain a copy, call 1-888-ASK-HRSA (275-4772) or visit the HRSA Information Center Web site at http://www.ask.hrsa.gov. For more information on the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce.
[Source: Health Resources and Services Administration]
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Physicians in the U.S. will spend over 40 percent of their time treating elderly and minority patients by the year 2020, according to a recent report released by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Titled "Changing Demographics: Implications for Physicians, Nurses, and Other Health Workers," the report reviewed and summarized literature on U.S. demographic projections and their implication for the health workforce.
Selected findings focused on:
The size and characteristics of the future health workforce will be determined by the health care environment and education system, economic developments, new technology, regulatory and legislative actions, epidemiological factors and demographics.
HRSA?s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in the Bureau of Health Professions produced the report. To obtain a copy, call 1-888-ASK-HRSA (275-4772) or visit the HRSA Information Center Web site at http://www.ask.hrsa.gov. For more information on the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce.
[Source: Health Resources and Services Administration]
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