Locums CME #101 | Comparing Locum Tenens Agencies, Malpractice Exposure by Specialty, Locum Career Tips & More

Editor’s Note

Risk rarely falls evenly across a career. It varies by specialty, by state, and by the terms written into an agreement, and the real differences tend to sit behind the headline number. Reading those details before signing is one of the few protections a clinician fully controls.

Some of the pressure that follows clinicians home is easing, though unevenly, and working faster has not been the answer. New technology is being asked to close the gap. This issue follows both the early promise and the early problems.

Longer-range planning is in a similar situation. Financial footing and a sense of purpose both shape how much room a provider has to choose where and how to work. Locum tenens can help preserve that flexibility, and the common thread this week is knowing what a decision really includes before making it.

– The Locumpedia Editorial Team

Lead Story

Waning Risks, Higher Stakes: Medscape Physicians and Malpractice Report 2026

September 22, 2026 | Medscape

A new survey of more than 1,100 physicians across nearly 30 specialties found that 33% have been named as defendants in a malpractice lawsuit. The figures were 34% for specialists and 31% for primary care physicians. Day-to-day anxiety has eased, with only 24% of doctors worrying frequently about malpractice during patient interactions, down from 33% in 2024. Another 43% rarely or never worry, up from 33% two years ago.

Exposure still varies widely by specialty. Some 63% of OB-GYNs and general surgeons have been sued, along with 62% of orthopedic surgeons, 50% of emergency medicine physicians, and 43% of anesthesiologists. Geography plays a role as well, with 40% of physicians in the North having been defendants compared with 30% in the South. Among those sued, 53% were named only once, up from 44% in 2023.

About half of physicians have taken steps to reduce future risk, and better communication with patients remains the most common defense. Among employed physicians, 11% pay some or all of their malpractice premiums. Concern is highest in riskier fields, with 42% of emergency medicine physicians and 39% of OB-GYNs worrying constantly or frequently. That makes malpractice and tail coverage terms worth a close read before any assignment begins.

Your Locums Prescription

Locum Tenens Agency Comparison Checklist: What to Evaluate Before You Sign

September 29, 2026 | Jackson and Coker

Locum tenens clinicians have plenty of options when choosing an agency. This means more staffing firms are competing for your attention. On the surface, many locum agencies look alike. The real differences show up in credentialing support, recruiter continuity, specialty depth, and how transparent the contract terms are. Those factors often matter more to long-term satisfaction than compensation alone.

Before signing, ask whether the agency assigns a dedicated credentialing coordinator or helps with licensing. Confirm what the compensation package includes, who covers travel and lodging, and what the cancellation terms say. After you get the facts, decide which firm fits your priorities. While broad reach may suit those who want flexibility, recruiter continuity could be more important for those looking for stability.

Tips For Your Next Locum Tenens Assignment

September 21, 2026 | Weatherby Healthcare

After your first locum tenens assignment, use the knowledge you’ve gained to make your next experience even better. Begin by reflecting on your previous assignment by writing down what worked and what didn’t. Remember to stay in touch with your consultant about availability; they’ll keep you in the loop when a good opportunity becomes available.

Between assignments is a convenient time to check licenses, state-by-state DEA registrations, board certification, life support certifications, immunization records, and references. Before saying yes to the next one, be proactive about details you may not have known about the first time. You may also want to speak with a provider at the site to get a more accurate picture of what working there would be like.

AI on Call

• IMO Health says clinical AI pilots often stall when fragmented records and imprecise coding strip away clinical meaning.
• CMS’s AI-assisted prior authorization pilot is under scrutiny after about 1,000 pages of agency records described delayed approvals, technical failures, and thousands of requests that ran past the three-day goal.
• McKinsey estimates that AI could handle up to 22% of US outpatient claims, mainly reasoning- and dialogue-based services such as intake, triage, and follow-up.

Wellness Retreat

Physician Burnout Is Down. Here’s What’s Working, and What Isn’t.

September 29, 2026 | AMA

Burnout is falling, and fewer physicians say they plan to leave their organizations. Leaders at three large health systems point to leadership development, ambient AI documentation, and efforts to rebuild connection and culture as what’s working. One system’s burnout rate fell from 44% in 2023 to 30% in 2025, and another now sits near 25% among its medical staff. A 2025 study found that note time per appointment fell from 6.2 to 5.3 minutes with ambient AI.

There remains room for progress. At one system, women physicians reported well-being scores nearly 10 percentage points lower than men, and EHR data showed they received about 30% more staff and patient messages. Inbox burden and after-hours work remain top priorities to address, along with physician empowerment and more meaningful career conversations.

Some Physicians Not Only Avoid Burnout But Also Find Fulfillment. Here’s How They Do It.

September 27, 2026 | HealthExec

In a recent physician survey on burnout, 47% of those who showed significant six-month improvement in well-being credited active personal changes. Another 40% pointed to active changes at work, while about one in four credited passive work changes. Only around 7% cited passive personal changes. The findings come from follow-up surveys of 359 US physicians, plus interviews with 30 of those who improved most.

Personal efforts included moving away from self-worth tied to professional identity, using time away from work more deliberately, and working with a therapist or coach. Work-related changes included switching jobs and moving to less than full-time work. Many physicians also blocked calendar time for documentation and outsourced nonclinical tasks such as billing and office management.

After-Hours Charting Isn’t a Backlog. It’s a Team Problem.

September 29, 2026 | KevinMD

A new study shows that faster charting has not shrunk after-hours work. One hundred and forty-four emergency medicine residents were examined across 167,010 encounters, finding that documentation time per encounter fell 69% over training, from nearly 10 minutes to under three. Yet work was still finished after the shift in roughly 90% to 94% of encounters, from year one through year four.

Earlier research points to team structure being the issue. One analysis found that a typical primary care visit generates 36.2 minutes of EHR time, with 6.2 of those minutes after hours. Physicians whose teams handled more order entry and routine legwork logged less time after hours. This suggests that the true solution could be reexamining which tasks truly require a physician’s judgment and which ones don’t.

Doctors’ Notes

The Student Debt Drag on Physician Retirement Savings

September 18, 2026 | Medical Economics

New research suggests student debt can leave a lasting mark on retirement savings. It draws on five years of 401(k) plan data from 2019 through 2023, matched against credit bureau records, and covers well over 1 million participant-year observations. The correlation between debt and savings holds, whether a saver is 28 or 58.

Physicians carry some of the highest debt loads of any profession heading into their prime saving years. The effects can persist well beyond the early-career years: borrowers in their 40s had median 401(k) balances about 45% lower than peers without student debt. The findings illustrate how decisions about debt repayment and retirement contributions can have long-term consequences.

The Evolving Landscape and Practice of Emergency Medicine, with Dr. Howie Mell

September 29, 2026 | Physician Side Gigs Podcast

Host Dr. Nisha Mehta talks with Dr. Howie Mell, an emergency medicine physician with decades of experience, about how his specialty and healthcare more broadly have changed throughout his career. They discuss what people often get wrong about the purpose of the emergency department. They also explore why the appeal of the specialty is less the adrenaline than the calm of controlling chaos with a team that can handle whatever comes through the door.

The conversation covers how EMRs, administrative requirements, and insurance pressures have changed emergency practice, including the need to justify medical decisions. They address the growing influence of corporate interests and private equity in the ED, along with the gap between public perceptions of physician wealth and the realities of long hours and personal sacrifice. Mell also shares what has kept him passionate about emergency medicine after decades in the field.