Waiting weeks or months to see a health care provider isn’t just an inconvenience; long wait times can lead to poorer health outcomes, higher mortality rates, and inefficiencies like cancellations and wasted provider time. These challenges are particularly evident in resource-constrained public health care systems like the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), where timely access to care has been a long-standing challenge.
In response, policies such as the Choice Act of 2014 and the MISSION Act of 2018 have aimed to expand care options for Veterans. Despite these efforts, access issues persist, raising critical questions about whether increasing provider supply can help reduce wait times and improve care delivery. Given the complex nature of health care access, understanding how provider availability interacts with factors like patient demand, scheduling practices, and clinician productivity is crucial for designing effective policy interventions.
New Research
Published in Health Economics, researchers at the Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center (PEPReC) investigated the relationship between provider supply and access to primary care in VHA. Their investigation sheds light on how the number of available health care providers impact patients’ ability to receive timely care. By analyzing access trends across different regions, the researchers provide valuable insights into how variations in provider supply affect the overall efficiency of the health care system.
Methods
Using multiple administrative datasets (e.g., VA Corporate Data Warehouse and Area Health Resource File), PEPReC researchers combined provider data with patient access metrics across different regions. They developed a model of wait times for new patients seeking primary care at VHA medical centers.
Based on a supply and demand framework, the model was used to help assess factors that influence wait times and estimate by how much an increase in the number of providers can reduce the wait time to seeing a primary care provider.
Findings
PEPReC researchers’ findings suggest that increasing provider supply may lower wait times and improve overall patient outcomes. Specifically, they found that a 10 percent increase in the number of full-time clinical providers at a facility (i.e., clinician capacity) is associated with a 0.48-day reduction in wait times (2.1 percent of the 22.9 day average wait time for a new patient primary care appointment).
Researchers also found that increases in the number of visits that clinicians can perform per day, which may be influenced by scheduling protocols, is associated with lower wait times. Moreover, patient access to alternative health insurance options is associated with lower VHA wait times.
Conclusion
Addressing the adequacy of provider supply remains a critical step toward improving health care access. As policy efforts continue to focus on expanding health care access, strategies that bolster the primary care workforce will be essential in ensuring equitable access to care for all populations.
This investigation highlights the significant impact of provider supply on wait times, offering insights from a clinic operations perspective. Keeping wait times low and improving timely access can improve patient outcomes. Targeted policy interventions, such as incentivizing providers to practice in underserved areas and implementing evidence-based scheduling improvements, could help bridge gaps in access to care and improve health outcomes for Veterans nationwide.
