In a new study examining trends in radiology workforce attrition, researchers found that women, subspecialists and those in non-academic settings were more likely to leave radiology between 2014 and 2022.
For the study, recently published in the American Journal of Roentgenology, researchers reviewed data from Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage claims data over the aforementioned eight-year period for 41,432 radiologists.
The researchers found that subspecialists in radiology were 37 percent more likely than general radiologists to leave radiology during the study period.
“On one hand, an increased ability to practice in one’s chosen area should lead to increased job satisfaction of subspecialists. On the other hand, depending on the practice, subspecialists’ narrower focus may lead to increased stress from higher case complexity, additional after hours call responsibilities related to their subspecialty, or increased volumes due to exclusive responsibility for handling certain examination types across their practice,” posited lead study author Eric W. Christensen, Ph.D., the Director of Economic and Health Services Research at the Harvey L. Nieman Health Policy Institute in Reston, Va., and colleagues.
Non-academic radiologists had 34 percent higher attrition rates than those in academic settings and women were 26 percent more likely to leave the profession than men, according to the study authors.
“The difference between genders in attrition rates has implications for anticipated career durations. Specifically, the nonlinear regression analyses estimated that, on average, male radiologists, in comparison with female radiologists, would have 1.9-.3.5 more (years of practice), depending on the nature of their practices,” added Christensen and colleagues.
Three Key Takeaways
- Higher attrition risk groups. Women, subspecialists, non-academic radiologists, and those practicing in rural locations had significantly higher attrition rates compared to their counterparts.
- Subspecialization challenges. Subspecialists were 37 percent more likely than general radiologists to leave the field, possibly due to increased case complexity, higher call burdens, and concentrated workload.
- Gender and career duration impact. Female radiologists had 26 percent higher attrition rates with analyses suggesting that men may remain in practice 1.9 to 3.5 years longer on average.
In another finding with potential impact on access to radiologists in more remote settings, the researchers noted that radiologists in practice for at least one rural location had 16 percent higher attrition rates.
“Remote practice locations present unique workplace challenges, including potentially reduced opportunities for meaningful interactions with colleagues; such separation can drive isolation, dissatisfaction, and burnout,” pointed out Christensen and colleagues.
(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Where Things Stand with the Radiologist Shortage,” “Burnout in Radiology: Key Risk Factors and Promising Solutions” and “Forecasting Supply and Demand in Radiology in 2055.”)
In regard to study limitations, the authors acknowledged that subspecialist classifications, based on a threshold of a subspecialty focus comprising 50 of a radiologist’s imaging workload over an eight-year period, may change from year to year. They also noted a lack of comparison for attrition rates between subspecialties in radiology.
