Radiologist-Practice Separation: Recent Trends and Characteristics.

Area of Science:

• Medical Economics
• Health Workforce Studies
• Radiology Practice Management

Background:

• The US radiologist workforce composition and stability are crucial for healthcare delivery.
• Understanding trends in radiologist-practice separation is essential for predicting workforce dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze recent trends and characteristics of radiologist-practice separation across the United States.
• To identify factors influencing radiologist mobility within group practices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Medicare Physician Compare and Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File data (2014-2018).
• Linked radiologists to group practices annually to assess separation.
• Employed multivariate logistic regression to determine predictors of separation.

Main Results:

• 41.1% of radiologists separated from at least one practice; annual separation rates increased by 38.4% (13.8% to 19.2%).
• Separation rates varied by state, with higher rates for early/late career radiologists and lower rates for larger, radiology-only, academic, and certain subspecialty practices.
• General radiologists had higher separation rates (42.8%) than subspecialists (38.2%).

Conclusions:

• The US radiologist workforce exhibits high and increasing mobility, with over 40% experiencing practice separation.
• Further research is needed to understand the reasons for separation and their implications for financial, operational, and patient care aspects.