AMA Health Professions News 8/04: The looming workforce crisis  

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HEALTH PROFESSIONS E-LETTER, August 2004
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1.  Allied health workforce shortage a "looming crisis"
2.  Where is health information management education/practice headed?
3.  Electronic health records make headlines
4.  Advanced dental hygienist created to meet nation's oral health needs
5.  More mammography screening specialists needed to reduce cancer deaths
6.  Quotable: High turnover among medical assistants
7.  Nuts about sports (and medicine)? Click here
8.  New law promises to transform patient safety and error reporting
9.  Recreational therapy is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"
10. Report profiles respiratory therapy workforce in North Carolina
11. Recent grads applaud ASRT'S Leadership Academy for Educators
12. On the calendar . . .
13. ATRA supports physical activity for children/youth with disabilities
14. Radiologic technologist salaries continue to increase

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NOTE: 2004 Survey of Health Professions Education Programs
at http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.2.197263 is easier than
ever: One respondent writes, "It was very easy to complete.
Thank you for fixing it so the totals are automatically
computed. Great job!"

For survey login information, contact Dorothy Grant at
dorothy_grant@ama-assn.org or 312 464-4936.

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1. Allied health workforce shortage a "looming crisis"

The well-publicized nursing shortage "pales in comparison
to similarly driven shortfalls in other health professional
groups," writes Edward O'Neil, MPA, PhD, director of the
Center for the Health Professions at the University of
California, San Francisco.

"[A]s important as shortages in pharmacy, medicine, and
even dentistry might become, they will . . . fail to reach
the depths of the looming crisis in the allied health
professions."

To read the complete essay, see:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.3.197263

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2. Where is health information management education/practice headed?

The electronic health record (EHR) has been a popular
buzzword of late. Now, read more about the challenges and
opportunities facing the profession (health information
management) that will be central to the EHR's implementation:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.4.197263

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3. Electronic health records make headlines

The US Department of Health and Human Services has a
10-year plan to transform the delivery of health care
by building a new health information infrastructure,
including electronic health records and a new network
to link health records nationwide. See:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.5.197263

The AMA welcomes the news, said AMA Chair J. James Rohack,
MD. "The AMA is committed to helping fulfill the promise of
an affordable, standards-based electronic health record." See:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.6.197263

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4. Advanced dental hygienist created to meet nation's oral health needs

Meeting in Dallas in June, the American Dental Hygienists'
Association adopted policy supporting the creation of
an advanced dental hygiene practitioner.

The new profession will help "answer the unmet oral health
needs of the public by providing cost-effective, easily
accessible primary care," said Helena Gallant Tripp, RDH,
ADHA president. To read more, see:
        http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.7.197263

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5. More mammography screening specialists needed to reduce cancer deaths

Access to breast cancer screening is endangered due to
a shortage of breast imaging specialists, according to
a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Mammography facilities should enlist specially trained
nonphysician personnel to pre-screen or double-read
mammograms to expand facilities' capacity, the report
recommends. Nonphysician personnel would not make
diagnoses, and every mammogram would be independently
viewed by a breast imaging specialist. See:

       Saving Women's Lives: Strategies for Improving the Early
       Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.8.197263

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6. Quotable: High turnover among medical assistants

"Physician office practice managers reported concern about
the amount of time spent on frequent training of new MAs
for the specific needs of a practice, due to the frequent
turnover of staff. Some medical offices . . . report
turnover rates of 20-30% per year. Staff turnover is
thought to be due to a lack of professional advancement
and low wages."

       - Medical Assistants in California
       Center for the Health Professions, University of
       California at San Francisco
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.9.197263
       (Adobe Acrobat required)

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7. Nuts about sports (and medicine)? Click here

The July issue of Virtual Mentor, the AMA's Ethics Journal,
focuses on medicine in sports and fitness. Articles include:

       - Limits of Youth Sports Training
       - Performance-enhancing Drugs in Sports
       - Exercise Addiction
       - Practice Makes Perfect? Ideal Standards and Practice
               Norms in Sports Medicine
       - Diagnosing Anabolic Steroid Use
       - Obligations of Team Physicians
       - The Physical Activity and Obesity Link: Considerations
               for Clinicians

To read more, see:
http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.10.197263

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8. New law promises to transform patient safety and error reporting

On July 22, the US Senate passed legislation to enhance
the safety of America's health care system, transforming
the existing culture of blame into a culture of safety.

The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (S. 720)
establishes Patient Safety Organizations for confidential
reporting of patient care errors. These data can then be
analyzed and shared to prevent similar incidents. See:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.11.197263

In related news, a new study estimates that medical errors
in US hospitals contributed to almost 600,000 patient
deaths over the past 3 years, twice the number cited by
the Institute of Medicine in 2000.

Although the actual numbers are open to debate, the problem
itself is not. "Any way you look at it, medical errors
are a frightening problem," Kenneth Kizer, president of
the National Quality Forum, told The Wall Street Journal
("Fatal Medical Errors Said To Be More Widespread," July 27).

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9. Recreational therapy is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"

Now featured on the Health Professions Network's Web site
is the profession of recreational therapy:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.12.197263

Profiled in recent months were medical technology,
cytotechnology, magnetic resonance technology, and
surgical neurophysiology.

To request that HealthProNet.org feature your health
profession in the future, send an e-mail to:
       webmaster@healthpronet.org

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10. Report profiles respiratory therapy workforce in North Carolina

Highlights from The State of Allied Health in North
Carolina: A Focus on the Respiratory Therapy Workforce:

- The number of new graduates entering the respiratory
therapy workforce will not increase significantly without
program expansion or improved student retention. Estimated
attrition rate statewide is 30%.

- Less than 15% of practicing respiratory therapists in
NC hold a baccalaureate or advanced degree, which may
contribute to difficulty in recruiting qualified faculty
and directors necessary to meet educational program
accreditation requirements.

- Over one third of the NC respiratory therapy workforce
is male; approximately 15% of respiratory therapists are
from a racial or ethnic minority.

The report is a collaborative effort of the Council for
Allied Health in North Carolina, North Carolina Area
Health Education Centers Program, and Cecil G. Sheps
Center for Health Services Research at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is available online
(Adobe Acrobat Reader required) at:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.13.197263

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11. Recent grads applaud ASRT'S Leadership Academy for Educators

Twenty-one radiologic science educators from around the
world recently graduated from the second annual Leadership
Academy for Educators, a 3-day program designed to support
educators' instructional needs. The American Society of
Radiologic Technologists sponsored the event.

"This has enabled me to look at different innovative ways
to both teach and administer our programs," said one attendee.

Another reported, "I left feeling valued by my professional
organization and motivated to continue my work, all with
a new burst of energy that many of us veteran educators
often need but do not recognize."

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12. On the calendar . . .

28th ASRT Radiation Therapy Conference:
"Essential Education for Radiologic Science Professionals"
October 3-5, Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, GA
http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.14.197263

The Sixth Annual ACCP Community Asthma and COPD Coalitions Symposium
October 27-28, Seattle, WA
(part of CHEST 2004, the annual international scientific
assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians)
E-mail: jbruno@chestnet.org

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13. ATRA supports physical activity for children/youth with disabilities

A new presidential initiative to mentor, motivate, and
assist youth with disabilities to increase their physical
activity is backed by nearly 50 national organizations,
including the American Therapeutic Recreation Association
(ATRA).

Under the "I Can Do It, You Can Do It" initiative, ATRA
and other partner organizations will help bring together
physically fit mentors with young people who have a
disability to help increase appropriate physical activity
and good nutritional habits as an important part of their
lives.

For more information, contact the ATRA at 703 683-9420.

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14. Radiologic technologist salaries continue to increase

Highlights from the 2004 Wage and Salary Survey of the
American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) and
ASRT Education and Research Foundation:

- Average hourly wage is $24.16, annual salary $65,401 --
increases of 19.7% and 26.5%, respectively, since 2001

- 44% of RTs are satisfied with their current salaries or
wages, 31% are not satisfied

- About 79 percent of respondents receive additional pay
for hours worked beyond a 40-hour week

- Hourly wages were highest in California, Washington DC,
and Massachusetts, and lowest in West Virginia, Alabama,
and North Dakota.

To read more, see:
        http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.15.197263

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ABOUT US . . .
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The Health Professions Career and Education E-letter
is produced by the American Medical Association (AMA).

This periodic newsletter covers educational trends
and career-related issues for more than 60 professions
that participate in the delivery of health care,
including diagnostic and rehabilitative services,
therapeutic treatments, health or information services
management, counseling for psychosocial and cognitive
needs, or related services.

Newsletter readers and contributors include staff of
health professions accrediting agencies, educational
programs and institutions, professional organizations,
certifying/licensing boards, and media contacts.

Previous issues are available online at:
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.1.197263

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GIVE US YOUR STORY IDEAS AND FEEDBACK
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What's happening in the world of health professions?
If you have any leads or story ideas, please contact
us. Also, let us know what you think about this
newsletter--and feel free to forward it to your colleagues.

Direct suggestions, comments, compliments, gripes, to

       Fred Donini-Lenhoff
       American Medical Association
       Medical Education Products
       515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610
       312 464-4635
       312 464-5830 fax
        fred_lenhoff@ama-assn.org
       http://enews.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1692.1.197263

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Copyright 2004, American Medical Association

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