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. 2021 Feb;16(3):119-134.
doi: 10.12927/hcpol.2021.26428.

Evaluation of Rheumatology Workforce Supply Changes in Ontario, Canada, from 2000 to 2030

Jessica Widdifield  1 , Sasha Bernatsky  2 , Janet E Pope  3 , Bindee Kuriya  4 , Claire E H Barber  5 , Lihi Eder  6 , Vandana Ahluwalia  7 , Vicki Ling  8 , Peter Gozdyra  9 , Catherine Hofstetter  10 , Anne Lyddiatt  10 , J Michael Paterson  11 , Carter Thorne  12
Affiliations

Evaluation of Rheumatology Workforce Supply Changes in Ontario, Canada, from 2000 to 2030

Jessica Widdifield et al. Healthc Policy. 2021 Feb.

Abstract
in English, French

Rheumatology workforces are increasingly challenged by too few physicians in face of the growing burden of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Rheumatology is one of the most frequent non-surgical specialty referrals and has the longest wait times for subspecialists. We used a population-based approach to describe changes in the rheumatology workforce, patient volumes and geographic variation in the supply of and access to rheumatologists, in Ontario, Canada, between 2000 and 2019, and projected changes in supply by 2030. Over time, we observed greater feminization of the workforce and increasing age of workforce members. We identified a large regional variation in rheumatology supply. Fewer new patients are seen annually, which likely contributes to increasing wait times and reduced access to care. Strategies and policies to raise the critical mass and improve regional distribution of supply to effectively provide rheumatology care and support the healthcare delivery of patients with RMDs are needed.

La main-d'œuvre en rhumatologie est de plus en plus confrontée au manque de médecins et au fardeau croissant des maladies rhumatismales et musculosquelettiques (MRM). La rhumatologie constitue l'une des spécialités non chirurgicales vers lesquelles on aiguille le plus fréquemment des patients, et les délais d'attente pour consulter un surspécialiste y sont les plus longs. Nous avons utilisé une méthode axée sur la population pour décrire les changements dans la main-d'œuvre en rhumatologie, le volume de patients ainsi que la variation géographique de l'offre et de l'accès aux rhumatologues, en Ontario, au Canada, entre 2000 et 2019; avec une projection des changements de l'offre d'ici à 2030. Au fil du temps, nous avons observé une plus grande féminisation de l'effectif et une augmentation de l'âge de la main-d'œuvre. Nous avons observé une grande variation régionale dans l'offre en rhumatologie. Moins de nouveaux patients sont vus chaque année, ce qui contribue probablement à l'augmentation des temps d'attente et à une réduction de l'accès aux soins. Il est nécessaire de mettre au point des stratégies et des politiques pour accroître la masse critique et pour améliorer la distribution régionale de l'offre de main-d'œuvre, et ce, afin de fournir efficacement des soins de rhumatologie et afin de soutenir la prestation de soins de santé aux patients atteints de MRM.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Rheumatology practice locations and patient encounter rates by sub-region (2019)
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Patient encounters according to patients' LHINs (2019)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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