Data shows that Europe is facing a growing deficit of doctors across all specialties, and the declining number of general practitioners stands out strongly. Current GPs aren’t evenly distributed and the fact that they are aging and leaving active service makes the problem worse.
Traditionally, GPs have served as the first point of contact when someone is facing a health challenge. These professionals handle most patients and refer those who need additional care to specialists. This primary healthcare role has earned them the tag ‘family doctor.’ However, countries across Europe are faced with a double whammy; their general populations are aging, and the GPs charged with tending to their health are also aging at a rate that exceeds the rate at which younger GPs are being onboarded.
Tiago Villanueva is the current president of UEMO, an umbrella body for all GPs in Europe. He says that the reasons for the GP shortage are complex and numerous, and the situation is getting worse. In his view, the challenge isn’t just about the working conditions or earnings of GPs since the shortage exists throughout Europe, including EU member countries and those outside the bloc.
He suggests that specialization is preferred by medical professionals and the work of GPs involves travelling a lot, the job is difficult and some regions like rural areas aren’t attractive for these professionals to work in. These are additional factors that could be fueling the shortage of these medical professionals, according to Villanueva.
The World Health Organization authored a report documenting the GP shortage in 2023. Besides the possible contributing factors that Villanueva mentions, the WHO report adds that feminization in the GP field has worsened the shortage of GPs because females are more inclined to be part-time workers, which reduces the hours and number of patients that they can attend to in a year.
Given that younger people are more inclined to value striking a balance between their jobs and their lives outside work, it is unlikely that recruiting a young doctor to replace a retiring one will keep the GP shortage from spiraling. This is because the young doctor won’t be willing to work the long hours that a doctor approaching retirement typically works. Two younger doctors may therefore be needed to replace every GP that retires. Additionally, labor mobility increases the risk that these younger doctors will move to another country in search for higher pay or a better lifestyle, which could increase the existing shortage.
This GP shortage is likely playing out in the U.S. as well, and firms like HealthLynked Corp. (OTCQB: HLYK) could partner with stakeholders and develop solutions that ensure those in need of care can continue accessing it cost-effectively through digital tools at this time when general practitioner numbers are declining.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to HealthLynked Corp. (OTCQB: HLYK) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/HLYK
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