Ask the expert: Workforce trends in family medicine
Q: Family physicians remain in high demand nationwide. What workforce trends should hospital credentialing leaders be watching as they recruit and onboard physicians over the next several years?
Jen Brull, MD, FAAFP, board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): The biggest trend is simple: Demand for primary care is still outpacing supply. That is especially true in rural and underserved communities, where access to a family physician can already be limited and patients may wait longer or travel farther for care.
Hospitals also need to recognize that physicians are looking for flexibility, reasonable workloads, and a workplace that supports their well-being and desired scope of practice. A streamlined, organized credentialing process can help send that message before a physician ever sees their first patient. It tells physicians the organization values their time and wants them focused on patient care, not paperwork.
Family physicians are broadly trained with experience in many types of inpatient and outpatient procedures. Hospital administrators should support family physicians in obtaining and maintaining privileges and credentials for those procedures, even when those procedures are predominantly performed by physicians in other specialties. Beyond the onboarding phase, maintaining scope is important, and loss of privileges is one reason a physician may look to leave.
Q: How are physician shortages affecting the way family physicians evaluate employment opportunities, and what does that mean for hospitals trying to attract and retain providers?
Brull: Family physicians have choices, especially in a tight workforce market. They are not just looking at salary; they are looking for an organization that offers fair, transparent, and equitable compensation. They are also looking for employers that support physician autonomy, provide flexibility, and help minimize administrative burden. Additionally, they look at whether an organization will make it easier to care for patients, support a sustainable workload, and respect the breadth of their training.
That means hospitals must think beyond recruitment. Retention depends on reducing unnecessary paperwork, supporting team-based care, and helping physicians spend more time with patients and less time fighting the system. The AAFP’s broader advocacy message is that protecting primary care means protecting the people who deliver it.
Editor’s note: This Q&A was excerpted from our Medical Staff Briefing newsletter.