Board Certification Characteristics of Practicing Neuroradiologists

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Subspecialty certification in neuroradiology is voluntary in the US.
• Understanding certification trends can inform strategies for increasing participation.
• Current data on neuroradiologist certification status is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the board certification characteristics of practicing neuroradiologists in the United States.
• To identify factors associated with obtaining and maintaining neuroradiology subspecialty certification.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the American Board of Radiology public search engine to identify neuroradiologists.
• Linked diplomates with Medicare-participating physicians using national Medicare claims data.
• Defined "majority-practice neuroradiologists" as those with >50% clinical work effort in neuroradiology.

Main Results:

• Over a quarter of majority-practice neuroradiologists never obtained subspecialty certification.
• Among those ever certified, 84.1% are currently certified; however, this drops to 66.6% for those with lifetime primary certificates.
• Certification maintenance is lower in nonacademic, smaller practices, and among those with lifetime primary certificates.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of US neuroradiologists are not subspecialty certified or do not maintain their certification.
• Factors such as practice type, practice size, and primary certificate type influence certification status.
• Further research is needed to understand the reasons behind these decisions and to optimize certification pathways.