Locum tenens in healthcare are moving beyond emergency coverage into a “more purposeful” workforce strategy across organizations, according to a new report from Definitive Healthcare.
The data and analytics company used a proprietary algorithm based on billing activity and affiliations data to infer that the number of locum tenens professionals has grown more than 23% since 2022.
Definitive’s “2026 Providers: Industry Pulse” report drew insights from its proprietary data and analytics and third-party research to identify four key industry-wide workforce shifts. The report aims to give leaders and organizations “a deeper understanding of the current care landscape, where it’s headed, and how to respond.”
Contingent staffing is becoming structural, according to the report. Shortages in primary and specialty care physicians—plus an “aging” physician demographic—is making it more difficult to recruit full-time physicians, leading more organizations to switch to locum coverage.
Analysts recommended healthcare leaders examine organizational structures, clinical workflows and budgets to see where such clinicians can deliver more value.
Advanced practice providers (APPs) are a primary care growth engine, representing a rising share of employed clinicians, according to the report, highlighting a second key workforce shift. Across all categories tracked by Definitive Healthcare, APPs grew 71% from 2021 to 2025.
Certified clinical nurse specialists saw modest growth at 7%, while the broader category of nonphysician practitioners (which includes certified nurse-midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists) led with 139% growth.
Since the passage of the CARES Act in March 2020, NPs, PAs, and clinical nurse specialists are playing a greater role in the delivery of home health care as well. The CARES Act permits APPs to certify, establish, and review home health plans—work previously reserved for physicians.
Organizations that want to be well-positioned amid the growing physician shortage of the next decade should consider leveraging them as central components in access, growth, and operational strategies, Definitive Healthcare wrote in the report.
Provider organizations should look at how APPs impact access metrics, patient throughput, readmission and follow-up compliance and revenue retention, the report recommends. Organizations should also design clearly delineated roles to ensure APPs operate at the top of their license while allowing physicians to concentrate on complex decision-making, diagnoses and high-acuity care.
The ongoing demand for behavioral health services is driving another key workforce trend. As the demand rises faster than the supply of specialists, behavioral health is transitioning beyond traditional practice models, according to Definitive Healthcare. Many healthcare organizations are shifting care away from traditional facility-based encounters and exploring virtual, outpatient and longitudinal care models.
Organizations need to consider whether their reimbursement model is aligned with hybrid care delivery. Reimbursement models need to reward outcomes as well as volume and ensure that team-based care gets reimbursed. "If your patients are moving between social workers, nurse practitioners, care coordinators and psychiatrists, you should be maximizing billing opportunities for collaborative and integrated care codes," the report authors wrote.
The report also focused on the impact of artificial intelligence technologies, with analysts saying organizations “cannot afford to fall behind the technological curve.”
“As AI-enriched technologies become the standard across care settings, provider leaders need to evaluate whether their investments in technology are translating into meaningful workforce advantages,” the report said. “It’s not just about reducing workloads and saving time; technological adoption can also be a cornerstone of your brand identity, demonstrating that your organization doesn’t cut corners when it comes to delivering the best possible care.”
Such technologies and solutions are rapidly increasing in use by patients, providers and healthcare systems alike.
A recent survey from Arcadia found AI integration is lagging across healthcare systems and organizations, with only 14% of respondents reporting full integration of such solutions at “key decision points.”
Moreover, daily decision-making was named as a challenge for 31% of respondents when scaling AI responsibly. Other needs for responsible adoption included education (27%), strengthening data foundations (22%) and measuring impact (20%).