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A growing shortage of U.S. health care workers could expose patients to fragmented, uncoordinated care, longer wait times and more medical errors, according to a new survey by the American Society for Quality, which is headquartered in Milwaukee. The survey’s respondents recommend creating more “fast track” units to deal with shortages and expanding IT systems used by health care providers.

The American Society for Quality (ASQ), an international professional quality control association that provides training and certification for a variety of industries, surveyed 475 of its health care members. According to the organization, federal official predict that existing nurse and doctor shortages will intensify in 2014 as more baby boomers become eligible for Medicare and many more people gain health insurance under the federal health care law.

Health care professionals ranked fragmented, uncoordinated care as “the biggest quality issue caused by shortages of health care professionals,” followed by longer waits for primary care appointments, medical errors and longer waits for emergency room visits.

They also said a shortage of primary care physicians has the greatest impact on health care quality, followed by a shortage of nurses and a shortage of “mid-level practitioners,” such as nurse practitioners who have more skills than most nurses but less training than physicians.

To lessen the ills caused by these shortages, the respondents recommended creating more “fast track units.” According to ASQ, “These units allow patients with less serious needs to be seen, assessed and treated faster and released in a timely manner.” They reduce the strain on emergency departments.

The respondents also recommended expanding health care IT systems, especially electronic patient records and computerized systems that allow doctors to order medications for patients. These systems reduce workloads and errors.

ASQ says it has members in 150 countries and service centers in China, India and Mexico. Its Downtown Milwaukee headquarters is located at the intersection of East Michigan Street and North Plankinton Avenue.

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