HLT 364 Topic 2 Assignment: Business Research Proposal

An issue being proposed has been at the forefront of the health care industry for quite a while, as this issue would be the shortage of health care professionals. This in particular has been more of a concern in rural and remote areas. According to an article, a report in 2017 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) determined a projected shortfall of almost 105,000 physicians by 2030, as well as a shortage of between 7,300 and 43,100 for primary care physicians and about 33,500 to 61,800 for non-primary care specialties (USC, 2020). A shortage in staff constitutes a real problem for health care administrators and the organization in delivering medical services to meet the needs of their patients and the community. It makes it difficult for administrators to balance the supply of health care workers to the demanding needs of patients. The factors that contribute to this shortage include limited space of educational programs, many aging health care workers are retiring, an increase in chronic disease, and the aging population that needs more care (USC,2020). This can make it a struggle for health care organizations to reduce the shortage of health care professionals. A shortage of health care workers can have a tremendous impact on many stakeholders. These stakeholders include doctors, nurses, staff, patients, upper management, and the entire organization. Health care facilities in rural areas can suffer, as it is already difficult enough to recruit them in these areas. This can lead to reduced quality care and can worsen the health disparities that already exist