In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, staying abreast of emerging trends is crucial, especially in care management. As the industry continues to prioritize patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and efficient delivery of care, several key trends have emerged, significantly impacting how healthcare organizations manage their staffing. Let’s review some of these trends and explore their implications for staffing in care management.
Top Trends in Care Management
As healthcare has evolved, new trends in care management have emerged, but what is care management? Simply put, care management refers to the way facilities integrate their programs and systems to streamline services and improve patient care. Some of the most important trends and issues in this industry today are:
- The need to accommodate an aging population
- The consolidation of healthcare organizations to create larger systems
- The growing interest in community-based healthcare
- Ongoing efforts to build and maintain patients’ trust
What Care Management Trends Mean for Staffing
Collectively, these trends will continue to affect care management staffing solutions for healthcare organizations. Whether you serve patients in cities or small, rural communities, these trends will likely impact your facility. Let’s take a closer look at what they mean for your staffing needs.
Expected Staffing Shortages
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2030, one in five U.S. residents will be of retirement age. In the same decade, the bureau projects that older adults will outnumber children for the first time in the country’s history.1 A portion of this aging population will require complex or long-term care to address their health needs. Research shows that there’s already a healthcare workforce shortage in the U.S. — a problem that’s only projected to grow as the population ages.
In particular, there’s a need for thousands of primary care practitioners,2 who can treat elderly adults and make referrals to specialists as needed. Healthcare facilities will continue to need trained providers, nurses, and aides, particularly in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. This need extends to healthcare administrators who can staff and manage these facilities.
Demand for Healthcare Administrators
In the near future, there will be an increased demand for healthcare administrators and managers as facilities transition to providing community-based care. Ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers, and physician’s offices may all become part of this effort to offset the rising cost of hospital care. As a result, they will need to hire staff capable of managing these community services.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for medical and health services managers could reach 28% by 2032.3 That rate, which is much faster than the average of other occupations in the workforce, speaks to a need for administrators who can oversee community facilities and stay updated on changing policies or mandates. If your facility plans to participate in community-based efforts, particularly in underserved or rural areas, it’s important to start thinking about how you might fill these essential administrative and management positions.
Emphasis on Soft Skills
As facilities shift to care management solutions, they may face challenges related to patient skepticism. Facilities will need to hire providers, managers, and staff with the specific training required for their roles and who can create meaningful connections with patients in their communities.
As you hire new staff, it’s important to emphasize candidates’ soft skills, otherwise known as people skills. These skills, which include communication, patience, and compassion, help staff build trust with patients. As this trust grows, patients will become more comfortable accessing healthcare, leading to positive outcomes for your facility and the wider community.
Trends in care management will significantly impact healthcare facilities, especially regarding staffing. Mitigate your struggles to find the right talent by working with a trusted healthcare staffing agency. Medix has over 20 years of experience sourcing qualified talent who are ready to meet the demands of the healthcare industry. Contact us today to get started.
1 “Older People Projected to Outnumber Children for First Time in U.S. History,” United States Census Bureau, March 13, 2018, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/cb18-41-population-projections.html
2 “Health Workforce Shortage Areas,” Health Resources and Services Administration, September 12, 2023, https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas
3 “Medical and Health Services Managers,” United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 6, 2023, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Management/Medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-6
