Transplant Infectious Diseases Work Standards-Results From a Mid-Atlantic Regional Survey

Area of Science:

• Transplant Infectious Diseases
• Medical Workforce Analysis
• Clinical Practice Standards

Background:

• The expanding fields of transplantation and cellular therapy necessitate a growing Transplant Infectious Diseases (TID) workforce.
• Current regional or national work standards for the existing TID workforce are not well-defined.
• This study aims to establish current work standards for a 1.0 FTE (full-time equivalent) practice in TID.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline current work standards for Transplant Infectious Diseases (TID) clinicians.
• To evaluate the compensation structure for TID providers.
• To inform the development of tailored work standards for the TID field.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2025.
• A REDCap survey was distributed to members of the Mid-Atlantic Transplant Infectious Diseases Society (MATIDS).
• Data from 18 multiple-choice questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Excel and R.

Main Results:

• Physicians reported a blend of RVU (relative value unit) and time-based models for defining work standards.
• For a 1.0 FTE, most reported 26-30 weeks of inpatient service in academic centers (31-35 for all respondents).
• Most physicians received subsidized cFTE (clinical full-time equivalent) support, with significant non-billable work for transplant programs.

Conclusions:

• TID work standards are frequently aligned with general Infectious Diseases (ID) despite distinct patient populations and consultation demands.
• Existing standards do not adequately account for the unique non-billable workload in TID.
• Developing specialized TID work standards is essential for fair compensation, physician retention, and attracting new specialists.