According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), “The U.S. faces a projected shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians within 12 years,” as reported in The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2019 to 2034. The AAMC reports that physician shortages hamper efforts to remove barriers to care. If populations that are underserved by the health system had health care-use patterns similar to populations with fewer access barriers, the U.S. would be short between 102,400 and 180,400 physicians.” It’s also reported that in the next five years, 35% of the physician workforce will be of retirement age.
In addition to the physical shortage, there are other factors affecting patients’ access to care. Traditionally, a patient might schedule multiple appointments at various healthcare offices that could be on opposite sides of their town or city, requiring travel time, time off work, and potentially long waits in office waiting rooms. People without a car or access to public transportation have a harder time accessing health services. In fact, up to 30% of patients of all ages can experience some type of transportation barrier to care.1
According to AAMC, with fewer doctors choosing to practice in rural areas, residents may have reduced access to specialists which could mean they are less likely to receive chronic condition screenings. This is particularly true for older adults with low mobility as well as low-income individuals who live in cities without transit systems.
Accessing health services can also be challenging for people who work in occupations that do not provide paid time off work. If taking time off for a doctor appointment means earning less—or potentially losing their job—they may decide to skip necessary care, such as preventive screenings. In fact, compared to employees with paid sick leave, workers without it are three times more likely to forgo healthcare for themselves and twice as likely to skip it for family members.2 These choices can lead to more significant future disease or health complications.
Communication is an important factor in establishing trust during the doctor-patient relationship. Language barriers pose many challenges especially in terms of achieving high levels of satisfaction among medical professionals and patients and the ability to provide high quality healthcare.