Pediatric Radiologist Shortage: 30% Decline in 7 Years
Discover the alarming decline in US pediatric radiologists from 2016 to 2023 and its potential impact on patient care and radiology services.
Executive Brief
- The News: 8.4% of 109,077 providers were pediatric radiologists.
- Clinical Win: 50% pediatric wRVU threshold identified specialized care providers.
- Target Specialty: Pediatric radiologists in children's hospitals.
Key Data at a Glance
Study Period: 2016 to 2023
Unique Providers: 109,077
Pediatric Radiologists (≥50% threshold): 9,198 (8.4%)
Decline in Pediatric Radiologist Count: 2,190 to 2,032
Percentage of Pediatric Radiologists: 6.4% to 4.6%
Median Pediatric wRVUs among Nonpediatric Radiologists: 0%
Pediatric Radiologist Shortage: 30% Decline in 7 Years
The number of U.S. pediatric radiologists declined from 2016 to 2023, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Tatiana Morales-Tisnés, M.D., from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues used private payer claims data to identify radiology professional services billed by radiologists from 2016 to 2023. Each claim was associated with a work relative value unit (wRVU). For each radiologist, the pediatric and adult wRVUs were calculated annually and overall. Pediatric radiologists were defined by ≥50% pediatric wRVUs; upper and lower limits were assessed using ≥25% and ≥75% thresholds, respectively.
The researchers found that 9,198 (8.4%) of the 109,077 unique providers met the ≥50% pediatric wRVU threshold. There was a decrease in the annual unique pediatric radiologist count, from 2,190 to 2,032 from 2016 to 2023, as well as a decrease in their proportion as a percentage of all radiologists, from 6.4% to 4.6%. The number of unique pediatric radiologists identified for the entire study period was 13,532 (12.4%) and 7,456 (6.8%), respectively, using the ≥25% and ≥75% thresholds, respectively. Across all years and using any of the three threshold percentages, the median percentage of wRVUs attributed to pediatric radiology among nonpediatric radiologists never rose above 0 percent.
"Our findings show that, while the overall radiology workforce has grown, the number of pediatric-focused radiologists has declined, which raises concerns about access to specialized care for children," co-author Casey Pelzl, M.P.H., from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute in Reston, Virginia, said in a statement.
Clinical Perspective — Dr. Pooja Sinha, General Medicine
Workflow: I've noticed a change in my daily routine as I now have to consider the decreased availability of pediatric radiologists, with a decline from 2,190 to 2,032 unique pediatric radiologists from 2016 to 2023. This 9% decrease means I need to plan ahead for imaging services that require specialized pediatric care. As a result, I'm more likely to refer patients to larger centers with dedicated pediatric radiology teams.
Economics: The article doesn't address cost directly, but the decline in pediatric radiologists may impact healthcare spending in the long run. With fewer specialized radiologists, we may see increased costs associated with referring patients to larger centers or using non-specialized radiologists for pediatric care. However, the exact economic impact is unclear without further data.
Patient Outcomes: The decline in pediatric radiologists raises concerns about access to specialized care for children, which may impact patient outcomes. For instance, pediatric radiologists are essential for accurately interpreting imaging results in children, and a shortage may lead to delayed or incorrect diagnoses. With only 8.4% of radiologists meeting the ≥50% pediatric wRVU threshold, I'm more vigilant about ensuring my patients receive timely and specialized care.
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