From the Editor

THE LANDSCAPE OF HEALTHCARE DELIVERY is significantly changing with the increasing need for licensure portability. In 2020, the COVID-19 public health emergency created an unprecedented need for out-of-state healthcare providers to deliver critical healthcare in US states and territories. There was significant growth and expansion in telehealth, providing needed access and ease of delivery, and it became clear that traditional models of interstate healthcare licensure needed to be examined. In “Trends in US State and Territory Participation in Interstate Healthcare Compacts (2025-2024),” (page 8) Cari Bogulski and colleagues examine the history and current landscape of the interstate compact model.

With the challenges of healthcare needs and delivery in the US, analyzing physician workforce patterns is very important. In the Commentary, “Documenting the US Physician Workforce: Past, Present, and Future,” (page 6) Xiaomei Pei and co-authors provide an overview of the forthcoming 2024 FSMB Census of Licensed Physicians in the United States. The Census, which will be published in the next issue of JMR, will provide important insight for policy makers and physician workforce planning.

Healthcare data has become fragmented and lacks organization with poor accessibility, vulnerability, and administrative cost. The concept of blockchain and non-fungible token technology is a potential solution. In “Regulatory Considerations of Non-Fungible Tokens in Healthcare,” (page 26) Angela Hemesath and colleagues discuss the incorporation of blockchain and non-fungible token technology for improved data sharing. This potentially could revolutionize patient control over health care data. It would promote ethical transparency of data ownership but would require unprecedented healthcare regulation.