For 360 metropolitan areas where median household income data were available, higher income was associated with a greater number of rheumatologists.
This study is limited by the fact that not all practicing rheumatologists are registered with the ACR, and by the inability to account for practice type (such as part time, mixed internal medicine/rheumatology panels, and multisite practices); an assumption of uniform demand across populations; and a lack of consideration of competing sources of care (such as internists, family practitioners, and midlevel providers), the investigators noted.
Better information is needed regarding factors that affect access to rheumatologists in underserved areas, and until this information becomes available, the current findings should be considered preliminary and exploratory, they said.
"More comprehensive practice databases and additional research [are] needed prior to policy implementation or reallocation of current resources. However, the present report identifies ongoing regional shortages in the rheumatology workforce, and highlights potential target communities that might benefit most from addition of a local rheumatologist," they wrote.
The authors reported having no relevant financial conflicts of interest. One author, David A. Elashoff, Ph.D., was supported by a National Institutes of Health/National Center for Advancing Translational Science UCLA CTSI grant.