[Shortage of medical professionals in preventive care and rehabilitation clinics for mothers and fathers and their children: current status and future challenges].

PURPOSE: The approaching retirement of numerous physicians threatens to create a shortage of medical professionals in many areas and has already been confirmed to be the case in the field of medical rehabilitation. The aim of the present study was to broaden the scope of research to encompass inpatient mother/father-child preventive and rehabilitation clinics.

METHODS

Directors of inpatient mother/father-child preventive and rehabilitation clinics were asked to evaluate the medical staffing situation and to explain their strategies for recruiting medical staff in their facilities. To calculate a medical staff shortage score, the indicators proportion of vacant positions, vacancy period, and fluctuation rate were used.

RESULTS

The majority of clinic directors were rather or very satisfied with the current medical staffing situation, but the future situation constituted a major concern for them. Job advertisements and professional or private networks were primarily used to recruit medical staff. Of the 67 clinics surveyed, around 60 per cent did not have a shortage of medical professionals, while nine clinics were experiencing high levels of shortage.

CONCLUSION

Slightly less than half of inpatient mother/father-child preventive and rehabilitation clinics are already affected by a shortage of medical professionals. It seems appropriate to react and to respond with targeted measures to ensure medical care in preventive and rehabilitation clinics for mothers, fathers and their children.