Abstract
Purpose :
The combination of economic challenges, rising number of retiring practitioners, and a declining interest in pediatric ophthalmology have led many to postulate that the shortage in physicians will have a pronounced impact on rural communities' access to care. We performed a cross-sectional study to describe the demographic trends and practice patterns of pediatric ophthalmologists in the Southern United States.
Methods :
States were defined as the Southern United States using the U.S. Census Bureau’s geographic region definitions. Pediatric ophthalmologists were identified by searching two databases: 1) all members of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) and 2) members of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) with a sub-specialty in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. Duplicate members were removed. These databases and public online information were used to gather data on physician demographics, practice location, and additional training details. Physician data was integrated with data from the US census and from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, which classifies counties as metropolitan or rural, based on population size.
Results :
A total of 355 pediatric ophthalmologists were identified in the 17 states that constitute the Southern United States. The mean number of pediatric ophthalmologists per one million children (<18 years of age) in the region was 16.3. Only 1.4% (n=5) of the total workforce practices in rural counties. Florida (n=75) and Texas (n=60) have the most pediatric ophthalmologists, however none practice in rural counties. The majority were male (59.2%) and 16.6% (n=59) of the workforce completed an additional fellowship.
Conclusions :
The geographic distribution of pediatric ophthalmologists reveals a lack of practicing physicians in rural areas. The impact of this maldistribution is unknown and warrants further investigation. We hope our findings will inform and empower policymakers and pediatric ophthalmologists to collaborate in an effort to address the alarming limitations in access to care.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.