Locum tenens are substitutes or full-time physicians when there is a shortage of health care providers or a physician is on leave or cannot come to work. Locum tenens give services in place o the regular physicians. According to a recent industry survey of more than 500 physicians, almost half of them said working with short-term physicians gives a chance for a flexible schedule. Below are the advantages of using locum tenens in a hospital.
They save the hospital a lot of money.
Unlike full-time employees who are paid on leave or not, locum tenens are paid according to the hours they work. This saves the hospital a lot of money that could be used to pay full-time employees during off-duty hours. They also do not require insurance cover, which the hospital is responsible for paying for their employees.
Locum tenens help reduce physicians’ workload and burnout.
Locum tenens help reduce physicians’ mental and physical stresses from the overwhelming all-day work. The physicians get more freedom in their schedules to relax and relieve the overwhelming pressure. This helps physicians avoid getting burned out due to the nature of their work, increasing their morale to work and productivity.
Locum tenens are more flexible and easy to manage.
Since locum tenens are not full-time employees, they are easy to hire if they do not work accordingly or offer poor services. Hiring a locum tenens is as fast as firing one, making them easier to replace than replacing a full-time employee, as finding someone with the same skills is not easy. If the assignment for which they have been employed ends, you can write them down as their employment does not involve a lot of paperwork.
Access to excellent medical professionals
A hospital working with well-known and trustworthy locum tenens agencies has access to health care providers with excellent skills. The agency has access to physicians with a good working track record and working experience. The hospital saves time in looking for a skilled physician, they only have to give their requirements to the agency, and the agency will find the best candidate for the job.
Better risk management of locum tenens
Since the locum tenen agencies are responsible for finding a reliable medical practitioner for the hospital, any liabilities like insurance cover and medical malpractice are incurred by the agency. The hospital is also assured that the physicians will continue working at the hospital until the contract ends. Since e agency does not want to incur extra costs, it will ensure it provides skilled physicians and the hospital is assured of the best medical services.
Local tenen agencies are the fastest way to find physicians when they are required urgently, especially during medical emergencies like disease outbreaks. The hospital can also hire local tenens to reduce the full-time physicians’ workload since, in most hospitals, they are required to work overtime as there is no one to take over from them after working hours