Most healthcare professionals believe the U.S. healthcare system has become less stable over the past two years and expect conditions to continue to deteriorate, according to a new survey released by healthcare technology company Inlightened.
Seventy percent of clinicians surveyed said the healthcare system is less stable than it was two years ago, while 72% expect stability to decline further over the next 24 months. The findings point to continued concern about workforce challenges, financial pressures and operational uncertainty across the industry.
Burnout topped the list of perceived threats to healthcare system stability, cited by 82% of respondents. Rising costs followed closely at 81%, while 77% pointed to workforce shortages and reimbursement instability as major concerns. Another 71% identified growing numbers of uninsured or underinsured patients as a significant challenge, and 62% cited an ongoing provider exodus.
Nearly half of respondents, 49%, said they expect staffing shortages to worsen over the next two years, suggesting many clinicians see little relief ahead despite ongoing workforce recruitment and retention efforts.
Many clinicians also cautious about how AI is being adopted
The survey also found that many clinicians remain cautious about how healthcare organizations are adopting artificial intelligence. Seventy percent of respondents said AI integration is outpacing execution, indicating organizations may be implementing new technologies faster than they are developing workflows and operational processes to support them.
Inlightened encouraged organizations to treat workforce sustainability proactively rather than reactively, as the loss of experienced clinicians continues to accelerate. That includes continuously considering the conditions clinicians are describing in a rapidly changing environment.
“The growing frustration is leading more clinicians to question their long-term future in the profession, which will create meaningful workforce challenges if left unaddressed,” said Karen Leitner, M.D., an Inlightened network expert. “And this is happening at exactly the wrong moment: Patients are aging and presenting with more chronic conditions, complexity and need. The country is going to require more dedicated, qualified and experienced providers in the next decade—not fewer. If these pressures persist, it will become increasingly difficult to meet growing patient demand with the workforce available to deliver care.”
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