Dei-01 Urologic Workforce Trends in Gender and Locality of Practice: Analysis of a Medicare Database 2014-2021

You have accessJournal of UrologyDiversity, Equity & Inclusion Forum (DEI01)1 May 2024DEI-01 UROLOGIC WORKFORCE TRENDS IN GENDER AND LOCALITY OF PRACTICE: ANALYSIS OF A MEDICARE DATABASE 2014-2021 Jaime Vieira, Kendall Schwartz, Christopher J. Warren, Karen L. Stern, and Nahid Punjani Jaime VieiraJaime Vieira , Kendall SchwartzKendall Schwartz , Christopher J. WarrenChristopher J. Warren , Karen L. SternKaren L. Stern , and Nahid PunjaniNahid Punjani View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/01.JU.0001008820.69436.91.01AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The importance of workforce diversity has been well-demonstrated to improve patient care. Urology has consistently had low female provider representation. Access to care in rural areas of the United States has been a persistent problem. The purpose of this study was to categorize gender and geographical trends in the urological workforce in the United States. METHODS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician and Other Practitioners - by Provider Database was queried from the years 2014-2021. This database contains all providers with at least 10 Medicare beneficiaries within the previous year. Variables of interest were self-reported physician gender, Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes (RUCA), state, and total number of beneficiaries. RUCA codes 1-3 represent urban areas whereas codes 4-10 represent rural areas. Census regions were determined from the state listed for each provider. Providers with an unknown RUCA or state were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed utilizing t-tests and Pearson's chi square. RESULTS: A total of 72,490 physician entries were analyzed over the 8 years of CMS data. Between 2014-2021, the number of urologists increased by 2.2%, and the number of female urologists increased by 57% bringing the percentage of women within the urology workforce from 7.2% to 11.1% (Table 1). Although the overall urology workforce is increasing, the rural urology workforce has decreased by 11.8% from 859 urologists in 2014, to 758 in 2021 (Table 1) Female urologists varied significantly by region (p<0.001) with the highest proportion of female urologists located in the West (13.9%), and the lowest in the South (9.6%). An increase in female urologists was seen in both rural and urban areas (23.8% and 53.9% increase from 2014, respectively). Male urologists were more likely to practice in rural areas than female urologists (OR 1.76, <0.001). Additionally, the number of Medicare beneficiaries per rural provider has decreased from a mean 603 beneficiaries per provider in 2014, to 515 in 2021 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates encouraging progress diversifying the urology workforce with respect to gender but decreasing access to care in rural settings. There is a growing need for rural providers and increased gender diversity in these settings. Source of Funding: N/A © 2024 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 211Issue 5SMay 2024Page: e287 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2024 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.Metrics Author Information Jaime Vieira More articles by this author Kendall Schwartz More articles by this author Christopher J. Warren More articles by this author Karen L. Stern More articles by this author Nahid Punjani More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...