Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
Ophthalmology. 2024 Mar;131(3):333-340. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.09.020. Epub 2023 Sep 20.
To assess the demographic characteristics and geographic distribution of neuro-ophthalmologists practicing in the United States.
A cross-sectional study.
Neuro-ophthalmologists across the United States.
In this cross-sectional study, public databases from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, North American Neuro-ophthalmology Society, American Neurological Association, and American Academy of Neurology were used to identify neuro-ophthalmologists in the United States as of April 2023. Providers' office locations were geocoded using ArcGIS pro, version 2.9 (Esri). Data on age, sex, and residency and fellowship training were collected. Analysis was performed using SPSS 28.0 (IBM Corp.).
Neuro-ophthalmologists' demographics, and information about their medical education, postgraduate education, residency training, fellowship training, years in practice, practice environment, and geographic distribution of neuro-ophthalmologists across the United States.
A total of 635 neuro-ophthalmologists (436 male, 68.7%) were identified. The majority (599, 94.3%) graduated from an allopathic medical school. Most of the 85 physicians who held a secondary graduate degree had a PhD (54, 63.5%). Although approximately three-quarters (429, 67.6%) completed their residency in ophthalmology, 159 (25%) had residency positions in neurology and 47 (7.4%) had residency positions in both. Approximately one-third (191, 30.0%) were trained in more than 1 fellowship, including oculoplastics (78, 12.3%) or pediatric ophthalmology (53, 8.3%). The average post-fellowship years of experience was 23.7±13.7 years, with 134 (21.1%) in their early career (< 10 years), 120 (18.9%) in their mid-careers (10-19 years), and 381 (60.0%) in their late careers (> 20 years). Male neuro-ophthalmologists had 10.5±1.1 more years of experience than female neuro-ophthalmologists (P < 0.001). Three states (Maine, South Dakota, Wyoming) and 2897 counties (93.2%) had no neuro-ophthalmologists. Counties without a neuro-ophthalmologist had lower median income (P < 0.001), lower access to a vehicle (P = 0.024), and lower rates of health insurance (P = 0.012).
Practicing neuro-ophthalmologists are mostly male and often are trained in more than 1 subspecialty. More than half of the practicing neuro-ophthalmologists are in their late careers, which may further exacerbate the existing geographic and socioeconomic disparities in access to neuro-ophthalmology.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
评估在美国执业的神经眼科医生的人口统计学特征和地理分布。
横断面研究。
美国各地的神经眼科医生。
在这项横断面研究中,使用美国眼科学会、北美神经眼科学会、美国神经病学协会和美国神经病学学会的公共数据库,确定截至 2023 年 4 月在美国的神经眼科医生。使用 ArcGIS pro(Esri)对提供商的办公地点进行地理编码。收集有关年龄、性别以及居住和奖学金培训的数据。使用 SPSS 28.0(IBM Corp.)进行分析。
神经眼科医生的人口统计学信息,以及他们的医学教育、研究生教育、住院医师培训、奖学金培训、从业年限、执业环境以及美国各地神经眼科医生的地理分布信息。
共确定了 635 名神经眼科医生(436 名男性,占 68.7%)。大多数(599 名,占 94.3%)毕业于全医学院。拥有副研究生学位的 85 名医生中,有 54 名(63.5%)拥有博士学位。尽管大约四分之三(429 名,占 67.6%)完成了眼科住院医师培训,但有 159 名(25%)在神经病学住院医师培训,有 47 名(7.4%)在两者都有住院医师培训。约三分之一(191 名,占 30.0%)接受了超过 1 项奖学金培训,包括眼整形术(78 名,占 12.3%)或小儿眼科(53 名,占 8.3%)。平均毕业后的工作经验为 23.7±13.7 年,其中 134 名(21.1%)处于职业生涯早期(<10 年),120 名(18.9%)处于职业生涯中期(10-19 年),381 名(60.0%)处于职业生涯晚期(>20 年)。男性神经眼科医生的经验比女性神经眼科医生多 10.5±1.1 年(P<0.001)。有 3 个州(缅因州、南达科他州、怀俄明州)和 2897 个县(93.2%)没有神经眼科医生。没有神经眼科医生的县的中位收入较低(P<0.001),获得交通工具的机会较低(P=0.024),并且健康保险的比例较低(P=0.012)。
执业神经眼科医生主要为男性,通常接受超过 1 个亚专业的培训。超过一半的执业神经眼科医生处于职业生涯的后期,这可能会进一步加剧获得神经眼科服务方面现有的地理和社会经济差异。
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