A new survey of orthopaedic surgeons found that about 60 percent of the doctors surveyed said they have not been practicing for more than five years.
The survey was commissioned by the American Academy of Orthopaedics and the American College of Surgeons and conducted by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. More than 1,000 orthopedist, orthopedian-in-chief, and general surgeons from across the country participated.
The survey found that the shortage of the next generation of orthotics surgeons is the result of an increase in the number of surgical procedures that require more than a couple of months to prepare.
About 60 percent said they are practicing less than five times a year, and about two-thirds said they do not have enough surgeons in their own surgical specialties to provide the best care for their patients, the survey said.
The AMA is a not-for-profit association representing more than 6,000 doctors and nurses.
Its board of directors includes physicians, surgeons, and allied health professionals.
The association is seeking to boost its presence in the U.S. health care market by recruiting new doctors and expanding its medical education offerings to cover more procedures.
The new survey also found that almost three-quarters of ortho-surgical specialists said they were willing to accept less money in order to work for a nonprofit organization that provides quality care to patients.
The majority of orthoticists said they would accept less in order for them to provide care at a low cost, the AMA survey said, citing data from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
About a third of orthos in the survey were unwilling to take less in exchange for less work, the report said.
Doctors and surgeons also cited a need to provide more training for patients in order not to be overburdened with patients who can’t afford the specialized services they offer.
About two-in 10 orthopedians and orthopediacs said they believed their profession should have higher standards for patients.
About half of orthodontists said their profession needs to improve its standards of care, the study said.
