Insights into the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Workforce: 2024 Data and Recent Trends for Programs Free

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the current work models in Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) programs in the United States and compare them to 2021 models.

Methods: In 2024, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Hospital Medicine (AAP SOHM) conducted a cross-sectional survey of individuals identifying as physician leaders of programs. The survey was adapted from the 2021 SOHM study by the chair and co-chair of the AAP SOHM Workforce Task Force, then refined by the University of Chicago Survey Lab. The remaining members of the Task Force gave final feedback. Respondents were recruited through societal membership and listservs. This paper reports the responses by PHM division/program leaders. Results, when possible, were compared to 2021 data.

Results: 219 leaders completed the survey. They represented diverse program types, including various combinations of program models (university, community, and hybrid). The median number of hours for a 1.0 Clinical FTE was 1800, down from 1849 in 2021. Community programs had higher annual hours/FTE (1867 vs. 1756 for university-based; p less than 0.001) and more in-house night coverage. Approximately 40% of programs provided an incentive for less-desirable shifts. Only 4.9% of programs require PHM certification/eligibility for employment. Most (67.6%) report a staffing shortage. Respondents' concerns about the future of the field included salary, night-coverage, and the ACGME Residency curriculum changes.

Conclusions: Total annual hours are stable to decreasing, and most programs are not requiring board-certification/board eligibility for employment. Notable differences remain for hours/year by site type, and undesirable shifts are not consistently incentivized.