Colossal Shortage of Rheumatologists is Here: Panic?

posted in Miscellaneous Lupus Topics on April 24, 2021 by

World-wide shortage of rheumatologists= getting worse. This is why it is getting harder to get an appointment with a rheumatologist.

Map of the USA showing shortage of rheumatologists for lupus patients

This NASA night view of the US looks very similar to the recent US map showing where rheumatologists are concentrated in the US. Some states have none!

The worldwide shortage of rheumatologists is getting worse: hold on to your rheumatologist!

If you have difficulty getting in to see a rheumatologist, there are good reasons why.In 2015, there was a shortage of rheumatologists throughout the US. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) counted 6,013 rheumatology care providers. 4,997 were full-time rheumatologists, 598 worked part-time, and the other 418 were nurse practitioners and physician assistants specializing in rheumatology. This was 13% fewer rheumatologists than needed by the population, according to the ACR. Since then, the numbers have continued to decrease. Many rheumatologists are retiring, and not enough new ones are entering the specialty. In 2020, 100 doctors who wanted to get into rheumatology training programs could not do so because there were not enough training slots.

By the year 2030, the total number of healthcare providers specializing in rheumatology in the US is predicted to drop from 6,013 to 4,133 nationwide. There will also be a greater need for rheumatologists. The number of older people with arthritis (the baby boomers) will be much higher. It is estimated that there will be only half the number of rheumatology healthcare providers that will be needed to care for rheumatologic patients, such as those with SLE.

Some Areas Have No Rheumatologists!

Another problem is that many areas of the US have few to no rheumatologists. Many patients have to travel hundreds of miles to see the closest one. 21% of rheumatologists are in the Northeast while only 4% are in the Southwest, and this imbalance is predicted to get worse. There are much fewer people in the population per rheumatologist in the Northeast compared to the Southwest.

A 2019 US study showed that more than 60% of US patients had to wait more than a month to get a new patient appointment with a rheumatologist. More than a quarter of patients had to wait more than 2 months.
It’s much worse for children with rheumatic diseases (such as pediatric SLE). Only 1 of 4 children with arthritis can see a pediatric rheumatologist. Those fortunate to see one have an average of an hour’s drive. Nine states have no pediatric rheumatologists, and six states have only one.

A 2019 United Kingdom study showed that patients waited for an average of over 6 months after the onset of rheumatologic symptoms before being able to see a rheumatologist. So this is not just a US problem.

Author

Don Thomas, MD, author of “The Lupus Encyclopedia” and “The Lupus Secrets”

REFERENCES:
American College of Rheumatology Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce Issues, FitzGerald JD, Battistone M, Brown CR Jr, Cannella AC, Chakravarty E, Gelber AC, Lozada CJ, Punaro M, Slusher B, Abelson A, Elashoff DA, Benford L. Regional distribution of adult rheumatologists. Arthritis Rheum. 2013 Dec;65(12):3017-25. doi: 10.1002/art.38167. PMID: 24284967.Battafarano DF, Ditmyer M, Bolster MB, Fitzgerald JD, Deal C, Bass AR, Molina R, Erickson AR, Hausmann JS, Klein-Gitelman M, Imundo LF, Smith BJ, Jones K, Greene K, Monrad SU. 2015 American College of Rheumatology Workforce Study: Supply and Demand Projections of Adult Rheumatology Workforce, 2015-2030. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Apr;70(4):617-626. doi: 10.1002/acr.23518. PMID: 29400009.

Borenstein D. Hug your rheumatologist: the shortage is coming. The Arthritis Connection Summer 2020. Retrieved on 4/11/21 at https:///www.thearthritisconnection.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/hug-your-rheumatologist-the-shortage-is-coming