Radiologist Turnover in the United States

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Management
• Medical Economics

Background:

• Radiologist turnover negatively impacts radiology practices.
• Understanding factors influencing turnover is crucial for practice stability and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the turnover rate among radiologists.
• To analyze the association between turnover, workload, and radiologist/practice characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of radiologist-years from 2013-2022 using CMS data.
• Workload estimation based on Medicare fee-for-service and commercial claims.
• Logistic regression analysis to determine turnover odds.

Main Results:

• Radiologist turnover increased from 5.3% to 8.5% between 2013 and 2022.
• Higher turnover odds were associated with female sex, metropolitan settings, and nonacademic practices.
• Turnover initially decreased with workload, then increased, with an inflection point influenced by practice type and years of practice.

Conclusions:

• Excessive workload, nonacademic practices, female sex, lower years of practice, and metropolitan settings are linked to higher radiologist turnover.
• Radiology practices should consider these factors when developing retention strategies.