Essay Sample on Factors Causing Maldistribution

Introduction

There is a maldistribution associated with geographic and specialty factors for healthcare practitioners' distribution among health institutions in America. This discussion will differentiate between geographic and specialty maldistribution and finally illustrate factors promoting specialty maldistribution.

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The difference between the geographic and specialty maldistribution is that geographic maldistribution indicates a surplus of medical officers in specific areas than others that display a shortage for health professionals. In contrast, in the specialty maldistribution medical field, health practitioners have a surplus in some specialties compared to others (Woo et al., 2020). Therefore, it is true that distinct factors affect these two types of maldistribution in the medical field.

Specialty Maldistribution

There are significant factors that promote specialty maldistribution, considering different medical specialties in the country. The most specialty maldistribution factor is the certification required from various courses to get an employment opportunity. According to the American Board of Psychology, there is an acknowledgment of certificates that indicate profession among thirteen areas of expertise (Turner et al., 2020). However, this certification by the board may not be necessary for most health practitioners since it only acts as a demonstration of being an expert in a particular area. This alternative for failing to have certificates for a specific specialty in psychology contributes to the specialty maldistribution. Some will have a surplus if no need for certification by the health officers, unlike others where one must produce a certificate to get a working position.

Payment Rankings

Payment rankings for health practitioners act as a stimulation for the number of experts in a specific specialty. More people will consider pursuing particular medical expertise and gain a passion for it at an early age, hence having more graduates in one field than the other. According to the available statistics regarding payment for various professionals, respiratory therapists have a payment median of $56,730, according to a 2014 report (Hayes et al., 2020). Also, when we consider the median pay for home health and personal care aides, in 2014, they had a median salary of $21,380. This payment difference in the various specialists in the American Health Institutions will influence medical experts' maldistribution. Many people will get compelled to prefer some for others due to the high payment. Everybody admires to earn more for a better lifestyle and make investments; hence, the medical practitioners' strategy is practical and immensely affects specialty maldistribution.

The time required to achieve a diploma, degree, masters, and Ph.D., among other training skills and techniques needed, vary from one medical field to the other. Many people will prefer to pursue medical areas that require a short time to complete and start earning. This mentality by the learners will impact the ultimate number of health-related field experts in each specialty. For example, respiratory therapists undergo an educational program that takes two years to acquire the associate's degree's required knowledge. While for surgical assistance to obtain the employment policies' education, he/she needs to study for 10-22 months (Hayes et al., 2020). Comparing this difference in duration required to attain an individual certification in medical fields, it is evident that it is one of the specialty maldistribution factors.

Vacancy Availability

The possible vacancy availability for some medical specialties in the future influences the number of entry-level graduates available for several fields of expertise, depending on the predicted time of employment. According to the general statistics, some of these specialties will have higher employment growth than the general statistics and have specialty maldistribution. Drawing these employment opportunities from the research done in 2014, employment growth for pharmacy technicians recorded 9% expected to exist between 2014-2024. Again, for chiropractors, the predicted employment increase was 17% between 2014 to 2024 (Hayes et al., 2020). Comparing the two specialties, one will prefer taking a chiropractor course instead of a pharmacy because of the expected future chances for employment.

Conclusion

Geographic and specialty maldistribution is indeed among the principal factors affecting America's medical field. It depends on different factors that contribute to such scenarios. The government should intervene to rectify the mess before the imbalance worsens and triggers a mega unemployment disaster due to pursuing the same degree that fails to match the demand for health institutions. Similarly, it can adversely affect some specialties because, after some time, expertise for these specialties may be challenging to secure in various positions.

References

Hayes, S. N., Noseworthy, J. H., & Farrugia, G. (2020, January). "A structured compensation plan results in equitable physician compensation: a single-center analysis." In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 95, No. 1, pp. 35-43). Elsevier. Published in January 2020,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.09.022

Turner, D. A., Boyer, D. L., Dwyer, A., Czaja, A. S., Odetola, F. O., Schuette, J., ... & Goodman, D. M. (2020). "Establishing the Knowledge and Skills Necessary in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: A Systematic Approach to Practice Analysis." Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 21(7), 667-671. Published on 11th March 2020, https://doi.org/10.1097/PCC.0000000000002312

Woo, T., Ho, R., Tang, A., & Tam, W. (2020). "Global prevalence of burnout symptoms among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Journal of Psychiatric Research, 123, 9-20. Published in April 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.12.015.