PEABODY, Mass. — Barton Associates, the 4th largest locum tenens staffing agency in the United States with nine offices nationwide, conducted a survey of its network of physicians and found that full- and part-time locum tenens providers are 38% more likely to be happy in their current position than doctors in permanent roles.
Nine out of 10 locum tenens doctors with an opinion on the topic said they were happy in their current position. In contrast, only about two-thirds (65%) of permanent doctors with an opinion said they were happy in their current role. This higher job satisfaction may be attributed to locum tenens physicians
feeling as though they have more work-life balance than their permanent counterparts. According to the survey, about eight out of 10 locum tenens doctors with an opinion agreed that their work-life balance is satisfactory, compared to only 58% of permanent doctors who had the same opinion.
In addition to gauging provider happiness, the survey uncovered that locum tenens physicians are 33% more likely to say they are fairly compensated as a healthcare provider than doctors in permanent positions. In fact, 65% of locum tenens physicians with an opinion agreed that their compensation is fair, whereas only 49% of permanent providers with an opinion agreed.
Physicians are also generally worried about staffing in the facilities they work at; 95% of locum tenens and permanent physicians with an opinion on the matter agreed that they were concerned about whether healthcare facilities can maintain adequate staffing levels in 2024.
Other takeaways include:
- 49% of physicians with an opinion plan on taking a locum tenens assignment in 2024
- 88% of physicians with an opinion are concerned about their workload as a healthcare provider in 2024
The survey was conducted on SurveyMonkey from November 17 to December 4, 2023 and garnered responses from 245 physicians in Barton Associates’ network. These doctors include full- and part-time locums, retired professionals, and professionals in permanent positions aged 18 to 65+.
