How Will EMRs Change Healthcare Staffing?

With the staunch support of federal policymakers, electronic medical records (EMRs) are on their way. In the next two years, the U.S. government will be paying out billions of dollars to healthcare organizations to integrate their current medical record systems, which in many cases now include both paper and paperless applications.  There is no question that EMRs offer benefits to the physician who will be able to get a convenient, comprehensive view the patient’s medical history. It will also mean greater portability. For instance, when a primary care physician makes a referral to a specialist, it will be easier to send the patient’s chart, lab reports, radiology scans and other information to the specialist.

However, the move to EMR will be expensive for healthcare organizations. Forrester Research expects spending to reach $50 billion in the U.S. health-information market over the next two years. Most of the cost will be one-time capital investments in new hardware, applications and networking technology. That includes the time and expense of digitizing paper records. But money will also be needed to train both medical and non-medical staffers in new policies and procedures.

In addition, solo practitioners, physician groups, hospitals and other providers may find it necessary to engage healthcare staffing firms to handle the increased workload during the transition period. From our perspective, it makes sense to treat the conversion to EMRs as a short-term project with appropriate staffing.  That allows the work to be done close at hand under the organization’s direct supervision.  All Medical Personnel stands ready to assist our clients in this process.

Summer is an ideal time for doctors to consider the benefits as a locum tenens physician with All Medical Personnel. Many healthcare organizations in attractive resort and vacation destinations – from the seashore to the mountains – need extra physicians to handle the seasonal influx of visitors.  And many physician groups, hospitals or other organizations need locum tenens doctors to cover for their own vacationing staff, fill gaps in patient care or accommodate their own rapid growth.

According to the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO), there are many lifestyle and financial benefits for locum tenens physicians.

Based on our firm’s long experience in providing local tenens staffing – as well as feedback to NALTO – there are several important benefits of a locum tenens lifestyle on a temporary or long-term basis:

• Adaptability. ? As a locum tenens physician, you can choose from a wide array of work locations throughout the country. That means provides exposure to new working environments and healthcare systems, providing greater opportunities to advance your career.

• Autonomy. Working locum tenens allows you to enjoy a higher level of independence. You can visit new locations and select the best employment opportunities for you as an individual physician.

• Fulfillment. Many locum tenens physicians enjoy having more variety in their day-to-day clinical experiences, as well as the opportunity to diagnose and treat different types of cases and patient populations.

• Flexibility. The locum tenens lifestyle provides far greater flexibility with your schedule. You can choose to work for six months and take a six-month hiatus, or work year-round in half a dozen locations – or any other schedule that meets your needs.

If you are interested in locum tenens, send us an email (select Contact Us above) or call to discuss these career opportunities.