The shortage of physicians that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down.

By the end of 2024, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, US healthcare organizations will have a shortage of 64,000 physicians, with that number projected to reach 86,000 by 2036.

As McKinsey notes, one factor driving the shortage is the roughly 20 percent of clinical physicians aged 65 years or older, many of whom are expected to retire soon. This trend is especially notable considering the number of patients in this same age group – a group with a higher level of health needs – is expected to grow to 23 percent of the population, from 17 percent, by 2050.

While retirement is a significant contributor to the shortfall, it’s not the only contributor. A new survey from McKinsey uncovered other root causes of physicians leaving the workforce – causes that the next-generation Hippo Virtual Care™ platform is uniquely poised to address.

Why Are Physicians Leaving?

More than a third of physicians surveyed say they are likely to leave their jobs within five years, of which roughly 60 percent say they are likely to leave clinical practice entirely. While more than half of respondents at or nearing retirement age say they’ll be retiring – and some younger respondents say they’ll be opting for early retirement – others say they’ll be seeking administrative roles.

As McKinsey notes, this gap represents not only a numerical shortfall but also a potential erosion of clinical knowledge and apprenticeship. The impact will be considerable, ranging from reduced health services and increased staff burnout to increased mental health challenges and rising labor costs.

So, why are so many doctors leaving?

According to the survey, there are three main reasons:

1. Workload Flexibility and Well-Being

While long hours can contribute to physician burnout, physicians say a lack of control over their schedules affects their well-being even more than the amount of time they spend on the job.

How Hippo can help: By enabling physicians to conduct remote specialty consultations from virtually any location either synchronously or asynchronously, Hippo Virtual Care effectively allows doctors to choose their working hours and limit the number of patients they see. In addition, Hippo Virtual Care’s ability to livestream patient examinations to specialists with a “through the eyes of the clinician” viewpoint reduces the need for onsite presence for more complex patients, further enhancing physicians’ schedule flexibility.

2. Inclusion in Decision-Making

Involvement in decision-making is a key consideration for physicians in determining whether to leave their position, with a majority saying they expect to at least be consulted or have a vote on major decisions.

How Hippo can help: Our platform empowers physicians by providing seamless communication tools for collaboration with other healthcare providers who work together as part of a Coactive Care Team. With integrated analytics and monitoring capabilities, physicians can use Hippo Virtual Care to track patient progress, offer informed insights, and play a central role in developing personalized treatment plans, ensuring they directly influence key care decisions.

3. Delegation of Tasks

Physicians say their clinical time is not optimized for patient care that only they can do, with nearly 20 percent of their time spent on tasks that could be delegated to non-physician staff or technology.

How Hippo can help: Hippo Virtual Care effectively upskills lower level clinicians including Medical Assistants and even social workers on the ground with the patient, who act as the “eyes and ears” of the remote consulting physician. Physicians can then focus on diagnosis and treatment plans, enhancing their quality of care. In addition, the platform’s integrated tools for remote consultations streamline management of patient needs, further maximizing the amount of time doctors have for direct patient engagement and improving their practices’ overall productivity and efficiency.

Learn more about how you can address physician shortages and optimize productivity and increase capacity using Hippo Virtual Care.