Physician Workforce

U.S. Senators have introduced a bill that would remove a cap on the number of Medicare-funded graduate medical education positions to help with the nation's physician shortage, the Mountain Home Observer reported May 1. 

AI chatbot assistant ChatGPT outperforms physicians in providing empathetic answers to questions from patients, according to a study published April 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Here are seven physician workforce updates Becker's has reported on in April:

Ninety-three percent of voting members of the Committee of Interns and Residents have voted to authorize a strike at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals in New York City, both members of the MediSys Health Network.

Becker's recently connected with three physicians to hear their perspectives on the impact noncompete agreements can have on physicians and their ability to practice.

University of Kentucky's College of Medicine is set to graduate its biggest class of physicians in history as the state and nation face a physician shortage, Northern Kentucky Tribune reported April 26. 

The American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals released a statement against physician-owned hospitals April 24.

Here are the 15 states with the most medically underserved areas and populations, which have been identified as having a shortage of primary care services, as of April 2023, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration:

The hours a physician spends on paperwork and administration per week do not necessarily align with burnout rates, according to a comparison of data from recent Medscape reports. 

Indiana's house of representatives have voted in favor of a noncompete ban bill for only primary care physicians, excluding specialty physicians, IndyStar reported April 21.