Learning to work with limited resources will be the name of the game for physicians in 2024.
Joanne Skaggs, MD, associate chief medical officer of adult services at OU Health in Oklahoma City, Okla., spoke with Becker's to discuss the biggest challenges physicians are up against in 2024.
Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What are the biggest challenges physicians are up against in 2024?
Dr. Joanne Skaggs: I think there are numerous challenges that physicians face that health systems also face in general. As we head toward 2030, there's going to be a physician shortage. So as we face that, one of our challenges is learning to work with teams and learning to work with limited resources, whether that be limited physician resources or limited staffing resources.
For example, we can work in a team with an advanced practice provider. But additionally, how can we work in a team with an advanced practice provider plus a pharmacist plus a social worker plus a nurse? So it's using all of these resources to work to the max of our license, and it's learning how we work together to achieve those outcomes.