Projected Workforce of Psychiatrists in the United States: A Population Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis quantified and assessed the projected workforce of psychiatrists in the United States through 2050 on the basis of population data. METHODS: With use of data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (2000-2015), American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (2000-2015), and U.S. Census Bureau (2000-2050), the psychiatrist workforce was projected through 2050. Two established psychiatrist-to-population ratios were used to determine the estimated demand for psychiatrists and potential shortages. RESULTS: The psychiatrist workforce will contract through 2024 to a projected low of 38,821, which is equal to a shortage of between 14,280 and 31,091 psychiatrists, depending on the psychiatrist-to-population ratio used. A slow expansion will begin in 2025. By 2050, the workforce of psychiatrists will range from a shortage of 17,705 psychiatrists to a surplus of 3,428. CONCLUSIONS: Because of steady population growth and the retirement of more than half the current workforce, the psychiatrist workforce will continue to contract through 2024 if no interventions are implemented, leading to a significant shortage of psychiatrists. Despite an expected workforce expansion beginning in 2025, it is unclear whether the shortage will completely resolve by 2050. Future research should focus on developing strategies to address this quantified shortage in an effort to curb the worsening shortage through 2024 and over the coming decades.

Marketing strategies for vascular practitioners.

BACKGROUND: A common misconception is that marketing is synonymous with advertising. Marketing by physicians has undergone a transformation from the earlier unacceptable slick sales pitches to a more common sense, tasteful, comprehensive, and well thought out plan to reach potential patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Marketing is a much broader concept comprising four aspects: product, price, promotion, and place. Marketing activities for a medical practice include not only external but internal tactics. Publicly available resources are available to assist physicians in developing and targeting the plan towards a narrow patient demographic. The marketing process includes: determining objectives, identifying resources, defining target population, honing a message, outlining a media plan, implementing the plan, and finally, evaluating the success or failure of the marketing campaign. CONCLUSION: A basic knowledge of marketing combined with a common sense approach can yield dividends for those practices that need the service. For surgical practices that exist in heavily populated urban areas with significant competition, a well thought out marketing plan can assist the practice in reaching out to new groups of patients and maintaining the existing patient base.