2012 Hospitalist Locum Tenens Survey

Transcription

1 2012 Hospitalist Locum Tenens Survey

2 Introduction The past two decades have seen explosive growth in Hospital Medicine. A majority of US hospitals now have hospital medicine programs and the number of physicians practicing as Hospitalists has risen from ~7,000 in 2001 to a projected 35,000 this year, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine. The growth in the specialty has, in turn, led to increased use of locum tenens hospitalists. Industry surveys that gauge demand for locum tenens by specialty show Hospital Medicine ranked number one as the most requested need. To learn more about the physicians filling the temporary staffing needs of our clients, Locum Leaders partnered with Today s Hospitalist magazine. At our request, the magazine inserted several questions specific to locum tenens in its 2012 Career and Compensation Survey of the nation s hospitalists. The results offer a snapshot into the total size and motivations of the Hospitalist locum tenens workforce. New to the survey this year are questions regarding social media. The results show strong interest in social media with Hospitalist usage rivaling general consumer adoption. As one of the nation s leading recruitment firms for Hospitalist locum tenens, we pride ourselves on our in-depth knowledge of the specialty. In sharing our data, we seek to add to the industry s body of knowledge regarding Hospitalist employment trends. Will Drescher, Chief Executive Officer Locum Leaders For the second year in a row, Hospital Medicine remains the most requested locum tenens need for hospitals. 2

3 Survey Methodology The data presented in this report are a subset of a larger, national survey of Hospitalists independently conducted in the summer of 2012 by Today s Hospitalist magazine. A total of 966 responses were tabulated for the survey with a 3% +/- margin of error. Complete responses will be published in the Today s Hospitalist Compensation & Career Guide in October and at Defining Locum Tenens From a latin phrase meaning to substitute or hold the place of, locum tenens is the industry term used to describe healthcare providers who take contracted, temporary positions at healthcare facilities. Hospitals, clinics and physician management groups typically use locum tenens providers to fill vacation or maternity leaves, open positions, or part-time positions. The analyst group, Staffing Industry Associates, estimates the recruitment and placement of locum tenens physicians as a $2B segment of the staffing industry. About Locum Leaders Locum Leaders is a one of the fastest growing locum tenens recruitment firms in the United States, and was the first to hire a Hospitalist Chief Medical Officer. The company specializes in consultative Hospital Medicine workforce solutions for Hospitals, Health Systems and Hospitalist Management Groups. In 2012, the company was named one the Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine and recognized for the third year in a row as one of Atlanta s Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. For more information and to find locum tenens jobs, visit the company s website at info@locumleaders.com or call (877-LocumJobs). 3

4 Key Findings 11.6% of the nation s Hospitalists have worked as locum tenens within the past 12 months, an increase over the 10% reported in the previous year s survey. Of Hospitalists who work as locum tenens, 14.5% identify themselves as full-time locum tenens, meaning they are self-employed. 10.8% claimed full-time locum tenens status in the previous year s survey. Compensation and career flexibility are primary motivators for Hospitalists who work as locum tenens. A small percentage of Hospitalists use social media in job searches and find it helpful. Analysis As the ranks of Hospital Medicine grow, so does the percentage of Hospitalists working as locum tenens physicians. The specialty has grown by almost 5,000 physicians over the past three years, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine, but the increase in the available physician pool hasn t diminished locum tenens opportunities for Hospitalists. To the contrary, more Hospitalists are working either full-time as locum tenens or supplementing salaried employment with additional locum shifts. 11.6% of Hospitalists said they worked as locum tenens, an increase from the previous year. 11.6% of Hospitalists did some sort of locum tenens work during the past year up from 10% the previous year. Of those who worked as locum tenens, 14.5% said they did so fulltime a significant increase over the 10.8% who claimed full-time locum tenens status in the prior survey. Increasing pay rates for locum tenens are a key driver, according to Robert Harrington, MD, SFHM, a practicing Hospitalist and the Chief Medical Officer of Locum Leaders. Demand for Hospitalists part-time and full-time exceeds supply and that, in turn, has driven up hourly pay for locum tenens over the past several years, said Dr. Harrington. This year s survey asked Hospitalists about social media usage. 60% of respondents said they used Facebook, 23% reported using LinkedIN, and 7% had used Twitter. The results, which mirror consumer adoption of these sites, aren t surprising to Dr. Harrington. Ours is a newer specialty that skews toward younger physicians who are open to the use of social media. he said. Another sign of growing social media adoption: 8% of Hospitalists in the survey said they had used social media in a job search to browse job ads, reply to a recruiter or to network with others about employment opportunities. 4

5 Survey Results Have you worked as a locum tenens physician within the past 12 months? (N=770) No Yes 11.6% 88.4% Half of Hospitalists who work as locum tenens prefer relatively short-term assignments of a month or less. Responses below are from physicians who responded yes to working as a locum tenens within the past 12 months (N= 89) Which statement below best describes your employment status? I am employed full-time and work locum tenens I am employed part-time and work locum tenens I am a full-time locum tenens (self-employed) 21.6% 14.5% 63.9% How many assignments have you worked within the past year? % 16.5% % 4 9.4% 5 20% 15.3% 6 or more Less than 1 month 49% 1 to 4 months 26% 5 to 8 months 11% 9 to 12 months 1% Over 12 months 13% What is your ideal locum tenens assignment length? Less than 1 month 8.3% 1 to 4 months 5 to 8 months 10.7% 50% 9 to 12 months 22.6% Over 12 months What are the benefits of working as a locum tenens (choose all that apply)? Compensation Freedom to choose when/where to work Flexibility Varied clinical experiences Travel Exploring new career options Scale down from full-time practice More time for patient care Other 36.1% 32.5% 26.5% 15.7% 12% 3.6% 73.5% 68.7% 66.3% 5

6 What are the drawbacks of working as a locum tenens (choose all that apply)? Time away from home / family Uncertainty about assignments Lack of benefits Lack of prestige Other 7.9% 27.6% 63.2% 57.9% 73.7% Locum and non-locum Hospitalists responded to the survey s social media questions. (N = 571) Which of these popular consumer social media sites do you ever use? Facebook LinkedIN Twitter None of these Less than 1 month 49% 1 to 4 months 26% 5 to 8 months 11% 9 to 12 months 1% Over 12 months 13% 7% 22.9% 32.2% 60.4% Are you using or have you used social media for a job search? No Yes 8% 92% 60% of Hospitalists say they use Facebook. If using social media in job search, how are you using it? Search Job Ads 75.9% Respond to a Job Inquiry or Recruitment Pitch from a Social Media Source 41.4% Research a Prospective Employer or Hiring Manager Network with a Prospective Employer or others connected to a Prospective Employer 10.4% 24.1% If using social media in job search, how helpful is it in your search? Very helpful Somewhat helpful Not helpful 3.4% 37.9% 58.6% 6