Workload of radiologists in United States in 2006-2007 and trends since 1991-1992.

PURPOSE To determine radiologists' workloads in 2006-2007, as measured by both procedures per full-time equivalent (FTE) radiologist and relative value units (RVUs) per FTE radiologist, and to discover trends since 1991-1992. MATERIALS AND METHODS Non-individually identifiable data from the American College of Radiology (ACR) 2007 Survey of Radiologists were compared with data from previous ACR surveys; all surveys were weighted to make them nationally representative. Under National Institutes of Health rules for protection of human subjects, studies based on anonymized surveys do not require approval by an institutional review board. Workload according to individual practice characteristics, such as type (eg, academic, private, multispecialty) and setting, was tested for statistically significant differences from the average for all radiologists. Time trends and the independent effect on workload of practice characteristics were measured with regression analyses. Changes in average procedure complexity were calculated in physician work RVUs per Medicare procedure. RESULTS In 2006-2007, the average annual workload per FTE radiologist was 14,900 procedures, an increase of 7% since 2002-2003 and 34.0% since 1991-1992. Annual RVUs per FTE radiologist were 10 200, an increase of 10% since 2002-2003 and 70.3% since 1991-1992. Academic practices performed about one-third fewer procedures per FTE radiologist than others. In most types of practice, radiologists in a 75th-percentile practice performed at least 65% more procedures annually than radiologists in a 25th-percentile practice. Regression analysis showed that practices that used external off-hours teleradiology services performed 27% more procedures than otherwise similar practices that did not use these services. CONCLUSION Radiologists' workload continued to increase in recent years. Because there is much unexplained variation, averages or medians should not be used as norms. However, such statistics can help practices to understand how they compare with other, similar practices. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/2522081895/DC1.

[1]  Mythreyi Bhargavan,et al.  Too few radiologists? , 2002, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[2]  Ying Lu,et al.  An update survey of academic radiologists' clinical productivity. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[3]  D. Levin,et al.  Turf wars in radiology: updated evidence on the relationship between self-referral and the overutilization of imaging. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[4]  Rebecca S Lewis,et al.  Data from a professional society placement service as a measure of the employment market for physicians. , 2002, Radiology.

[5]  Rebecca S Lewis,et al.  A portrait of interventional radiologists in the United States. , 2005, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[6]  Jonathan H Sunshine,et al.  Update on the diagnostic radiology employment market: findings through 2007-2008. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[7]  J. Sunshine,et al.  Update on the diagnostic radiology employment market: findings through 2006-2007. , 2007, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[8]  H. Forman,et al.  Updated findings from a help wanted index of job advertisements and an analysis of the policy implications: is the job-market shortage for diagnostic radiologists stabilizing? , 2002, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[9]  H. Forman,et al.  A survey of radiology practices' use of after-hours radiology services. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[10]  D. Avrin,et al.  Measuring the academic radiologist's clinical productivity: applying RVU adjustment factors. , 2001, Academic radiology.

[11]  U.S. radiologists' workload in 1995-1996 and trends since 1991-1992. , 1999, Radiology.

[12]  Mythreyi Bhargavan,et al.  Workload of radiologists in the United States in 2002-2003 and trends since 1991-1992. , 2005, Radiology.

[13]  J. Sunshine,et al.  Diagnostic radiologists in 2000: basic characteristics, practices, and issues related to the radiologist shortage. , 2002, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[14]  Mythreyi Bhargavan,et al.  The growing size of radiology practices. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[15]  Jonathan H Sunshine,et al.  Findings in 2002 from a help wanted index of job advertisements: is the job-market shortage of diagnostic radiologists easing? , 2003, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[16]  J. Sunshine,et al.  How could the radiologist shortage have eased? , 2006, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[17]  Jonathan H Sunshine,et al.  Ownership or leasing of MRI facilities by nonradiologist physicians is a rapidly growing trend. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[18]  J. Sunshine,et al.  Operational characteristics of radiology groups in the United States in 1992. , 1994, Radiology.

[19]  Mythreyi Bhargavan,et al.  Workload of radiologists in the United States in 1998-1999 and trends since 1995-1996. , 2002, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[20]  Injury rates by industry 1970, BLS Report 406, Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. , 1972, IMS, Industrial medicine and surgery.

[21]  Ying Lu,et al.  The academic radiologist's clinical productivity: an update. , 2005, Academic radiology.

[22]  H. Forman,et al.  The reasons that many radiology practices don't use off-hours services. , 2008, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.