Access to spine surgeons depends on workforce supply, system efficiency and shifting patient demand.
Becker’s connected with three experts to get their take on how patient access will fare in the coming years. While some foresee technology and scheduling advancements increasing provider availability, others predict that workforce shortages and reimbursement challenges will be a pain point.
Question: Will access to spine surgeons get better or worse in the next five years — and why?
Editor’s note: These responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Mohammad Majd, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at PMC Regional Hospital (New Albany, Ind.): I believe access will get worse due to declining reimbursement and increasing corporate ownership of surgeons. Unfortunately, the field of medicine in this country is trending downward.
Alexander Mameghani, MD. Head of Spine Surgery at Kantonsspital Baden AG (Switzerland): In Europe and Switzerland, access will likely not improve, as the number of specialists cannot keep up with demand. The older generation of “generalist” spine surgeons is disappearing, and subspecialties such as tumor, deformity, endoscopy and MIS are carried by too few surgeons. Advances in navigation, robotics and AI may raise efficiency but cannot overcome the structural shortage. In five years, access will largely mirror today, with bottlenecks emerging in tumor and degenerative deformity surgery.
Jeffrey Wang, MD. Chief of Orthopedic Spine Service and Co-Director of the Spine Center at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles): I think access will get better as the number of surgeons grows and scheduling becomes easier. Health systems are focused on increasing volume, making it simpler to access appointments. However, once patients are seen, obtaining tests, imaging or surgical approvals may become more difficult.
