Pediatric neurosurgery work force: a pilot study

The physician work force of tomorrow is influenced by the number of physicians and specialists trained today. Little information exists about the need for pediatric neurosurgeons in the next 10 years or about the activity of pediatric neurosurgeons currently in practice. The objective of this study was to obtain preliminary data about pediatric neurosurgeons and current work loads. A questionnaire was distributed to physicians attending the Pediatric Section Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 1997, 93 questionnaires were returned. A majority of the respondents were between 35 and 55 years of age. The largest group geographically was from the northeast. Fifty-five respondents described their practice as academic and of that group, 48% reported that their practice was either exclusively or at least 95% pediatric neurosurgery. Self-described work load varied with geographic location. In the northeast, only 26% of practitioners felt they were not busy enough, whereas in the southwest, 60% reported not being busy enough. Academic practitioners were more likely than other respondents to describe their practice as too busy or appropriately busy. Thirty-six respondents indicated plans to either expand their practice or retire within the next 10 years. This pilot study demonstrates the potential for future growth in pediatric neurosurgery as well as providing information about the current self-reported work load and its distribution over practice types and geographic locations. This study provides guidance for development of future studies to improve the sensitivity and usefulness of acquired data.