Understanding the Canadian Interventional Radiology Landscape Through the Canadian Association of Interventional...

Physicians in Canada are disproportionately concentrated in urban centers, with rural regions facing significant gaps in specialist care. The geo-spatial characteristics of Interventional Radiology (IR) in Canada have not been systematically studied. This study examines the distribution of Canadian Association of Interventional Radiology (CAIR) members and the sociodemographic characteristics of the populations they serve.

A list of active members of the Canadian Association of IR (CAIR) was obtained in May 2025. Data from the Canadian Census was used to gather census division (CD)-level information on population size and demographics including data on ethnicity, income, education, employment, and income. CDs were grouped and compared between those with access to IR care and those without, compared between top and bottom quartiles for each population characteristic, and mapped.

Of 293 CDs in Canada, only 48 (19.6%) had at least one CAIR IR, leaving 31.6% of the national population without local access. CAIR IRs were strongly clustered in high-population CDs, with Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal alone accounting for 56.5% of IRs. CDs with CAIR IRs had significantly higher mean populations (527 322 vs 47 675; P < .001), median incomes ($82 760 vs $75 821; P = .002), and educational attainment (31% vs 16%; P < .001). Conversely, CDs with higher proportions of the population being Indigenous were less likely to have CAIR IRs (5% vs 14%; P < .001).

CAIR member IRs are disproportionately concentrated in large urban centers, leaving substantial geographic disparities. Addressing this maldistribution will require coordinated strategies, including outreach models, telehealth integration, and national workforce planning.