Temporal and Geospatial Variations among the Interventional Radiology Physician Workforce in the United States

Background: This study aimed to analyze the temporal trends and state-wise geospatial variations in vascular and interventional radiology (VIR) workforce in the United States.

Materials and Methods: The State Physician Workforce Data were accessed for years 2015, 2017, and 2019. The variables collected for each state included total active physicians, total physicians per specialty, and total female physicians per specialty in VIR. Comparative data were obtained for vascular surgery (VS), diagnostic radiology (DR), and radiation oncology (RO). The annual growth rate for total physicians and female physicians in each state was computed for each specialty.

Results: From 2015 to 2019, the total active physicians in the United States grew by 1.8% per year, while in VIR, they grew by 8.3% per year, DR by 0.06% per year, VS by 4.4% per year, and RO by 1.9% per year. Colorado and Minnesota had the highest growth rate for VIR physicians (15% each). VIR physicians per 100,000 people increased from 0.84 (2015) to 1.10 (2019) in the United States; in comparison, VS physicians grew from 0.99 (2015) to 1.14 (2019), DR physicians declined from 8.61 (2015) to 8.43 (2019), RO physicians grew from 1.48 (2015) to 1.56 (2019). Women represented 6.8% of the VIR workforce in the United States in 2019 and grew by 16% annually in the United States from 2015 to 2019. In comparison, the number of women in VS has grown by 21%, DR by 2%, and RO by 2.4% during same time period. The state of Maryland has the highest proportion of women in VIR at 18%.

Conclusion: VIR physicians are growing at a higher rate than the national overall physician growth, and even though female VIR physicians makeup a small fraction of the VIR workforce, their numbers have increased at a faster rate than overall VIR physicians.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
14 December 2021