Emerging research affirms overall higher turnover rates for radiologists and other key trends with respect to retention challenges for female radiologists, those in metropolitan-based practices and radiologists in non-academic facilities.
For the retrospective study, recently published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, researchers reviewed data for 39,439 radiologists and a total of 280,692 radiologist years over a 10-year period between 2013 and 2022. The study authors also considered turnover inflection points that they defined as “the workload level at which turnover is minimized.”
The researchers found that that the overall annual turnover rate increased from 5.3 percent in 2013 to 8.5 percent in 2022.
The study findings also revealed higher likelihoods of turnover for women (6 percent), non-academic radiologists (9 percent) and those who practice in metropolitan areas (12 percent), according to the study authors.
“Turnover rates were higher for female radiologists, those in metropolitan areas, and those with fewer (years of practice) and lower in academic practices and in larger practices, and differed somewhat across practice types,” noted lead study author Jay R. Parikh, M.D., a professor in the Division of Diagnostic Imaging at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues.
Noting the higher turnover rate for female radiologists, the lower turnover rate for academic radiology positions and a 12 percent higher percentage of women in academic vs. non-academic settings (32.8 percent vs. 20.8 percent), the study authors noted work-life balance as a key point of emphasis.
“Practices that prioritize work-life balance may help recruitment and retention of female radiologists. Attracting and retaining radiologists who prioritize work-life balance may be easier for academic practices,” added Parikh and colleagues. “Hence, practices seeking to recruit and retain radiologists should contemplate increasing paid leave and allocating resources for professional development, wellness, and addressing burnout.”
Three Key Takeaways
- Radiologist turnover is rising overall. The annual turnover rate increased from 5.3 percent in 2013 to 8.5 percent in 2022, reflecting growing retention challenges across the field.
- Women, non-academic, and metropolitan radiologists face higher turnover risk. Turnover was higher among female radiologists (6 percent), non-academic radiologists (9 percent), and those in metropolitan areas (12 percent). Academic practices had lower turnover and a higher proportion of women, suggesting a possible link to workplace structure and culture.
- Workload and work-life balance are key drivers. Academic radiologists reached their “turnover inflection point” at a significantly lower workload than non-academic peers, possibly due to case complexity and productivity pressures. The authors emphasize that improving work-life balance, paid leave, wellness resources, and professional development may help recruitment and retention, especially for women.
That said, the researchers also found that radiologists in academic settings had a turnover inflection point that was approximately one-third lower than that of radiologists in non-academic practice environments (8,820 work relative value units (wRVUs) vs. 13.380 wRVUs).
“Growing clinical demands may supplant time previously dedicated to research and teaching, without commensurate compensation. … The lower infection point for academic radiologists could also be due higher case complexity in academic centers because higher versus lower complexity means longer interpretation time for the same wRVUs. As RVU-based productivity is increasingly tied to academic radiologists’ compensation, it may contribute to turnover at lower workload levels,” posited Parikh and colleagues.
(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Radiology Workforce Study Finds Greater Attrition of Women, Subspecialists and Non-Academic Radiologists Over Eight-Year Period,” “Emerging Trends with Burnout in Radiology: An Interview with Chris Mattern, MD, Part 1” and “Addressing Diversity and Resident Attrition in Interventional Radiology: An Interview with Mina Makary, MD.”)
In regard to study limitations, the authors acknowledged extrapolation of workload based on Inovalon Insights data and Medicare fee-for-service data, and the exclusion of claims data related to uninsured patients. Workload in a turnover year partly reflects workload absorbed at one’s new practice, according to the researchers.
