Exploring the Demands of Urology: On-Call Compensation, Frequency, and Variability.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Healthcare Workforce Analysis
• Medical Practice Management

Background:

• On-call scheduling is a critical component of urological practice.
• Understanding current on-call patterns is essential for addressing workforce challenges and ensuring equitable distribution of responsibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and report on the current on-call patterns among urologists in the United States.
• To identify and quantify variations in on-call duties based on demographic and professional factors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 2022 American Urological Association (AUA) Census.
• Statistical comparison (chi-squared tests) of on-call factors across gender, subspecialty, hours worked, AUA section, salary, and practice setting.
• Statistical significance defined as P < .05.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in on-call requirements and compensation were observed based on gender.
• Variability in being paid for weekend call and earning over $500/day for weekend call was noted between male and female urologists.
• Differences in compensation for weekday and weekend calls were found across AUA sections and practice settings.

Conclusions:

• Substantial variability exists in on-call responsibilities and compensation structures within the urology workforce.
• Continued monitoring through regular censuses is recommended to track trends in urologist on-call patterns.
• Addressing these disparities is crucial for workforce well-being and practice sustainability.