Brad A.Racette, M.D., FAAN, Professor and Vice Chairman of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicineracetteb@neuro.wustl.edu
David M. Holtzman, M.D., FAAN, Professor and Chairman of Neurology, St. Louis, MO
Submitted November 02, 2013
We believe that Dall et al. [1] understand US neurology workforce needs. However, we contend that the estimates of the current neurology workforce may be overly optimistic due to the research, education, and administrative commitments of neurology faculty in academic medical centers. For example, the authors estimated that Missouri has 365.9 neurologist providers and an estimated need of 379.6 neurologist providers. Washington University School of Medicine has 122 of the neurology providers in Missouri. However, these 122 faculty represent only 34.7 clinical neurology full time employee (FTE) providers. These revised figures, likely an underestimate, demonstrate that Missouri actually has 26% fewer neurology provider FTE's than are needed to meet the estimated current demand. We believe that adjusting for actual neurology provider FTE's across the US, particularly in academic medical centers, would demonstrate a much direr picture of the state of the US neurology clinical workforce in 2013. Our empirical observations are that wait times and demand to be seen by a neurologist support the numbers we provide. More importantly, the estimates of the workforce needs for 2025 likely indicate a severe future shortage of neurologists that we are already experiencing in Missouri.
1. Dall TM, Storm MV, Chakrabarti R, et al. Supply and demand
analysis of the current and future US neurology workforce. Neurology 2013;81:470-478.
For disclosures, contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.
We believe that Dall et al. [1] understand US neurology workforce needs. However, we contend that the estimates of the current neurology workforce may be overly optimistic due to the research, education, and administrative commitments of neurology faculty in academic medical centers. For example, the authors estimated that Missouri has 365.9 neurologist providers and an estimated need of 379.6 neurologist providers. Washington University School of Medicine has 122 of the neurology providers in Missouri. However, these 122 faculty represent only 34.7 clinical neurology full time employee (FTE) providers. These revised figures, likely an underestimate, demonstrate that Missouri actually has 26% fewer neurology provider FTE's than are needed to meet the estimated current demand. We believe that adjusting for actual neurology provider FTE's across the US, particularly in academic medical centers, would demonstrate a much direr picture of the state of the US neurology clinical workforce in 2013. Our empirical observations are that wait times and demand to be seen by a neurologist support the numbers we provide. More importantly, the estimates of the workforce needs for 2025 likely indicate a severe future shortage of neurologists that we are already experiencing in Missouri.
1. Dall TM, Storm MV, Chakrabarti R, et al. Supply and demand analysis of the current and future US neurology workforce. Neurology 2013;81:470-478.
For disclosures, contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.