Mismatch in Supply and Demand for Neuro-Ophthalmic Care.
Adam DeBusk, Prem S Subramanian, Molly Scannell Bryan, Mark L Moster, Preston C Calvert, Larry P Frohman
Author Information
Adam DeBusk: Department of Ophthalmology (AD), Wills Eye Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery (PSS), Sue Anschutz-Rodgers UCHealth Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; Institute for Minority Health Research (MSB), University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology (MLM), Wills Eye Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Neurology (PCC), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; and Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurosciences (LPF), Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey.
BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests the number of neuro-ophthalmologists in the United States may be below a level that provides sufficient access to neuro-ophthalmic care in much of the United States. However, national estimates of the amount of clinical time spent on neuro-ophthalmology are lacking. METHODS: The North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society administered a survey on professional time allocation to its active members. Survey response was 95%. The survey characterized the hours each week each respondent allocated to overall work, clinical work, clinical work in ophthalmology/neurology, and clinical work in neuro-ophthalmology specifically. The survey additionally collected information regarding demographics, current wait times to be seen for new patients, and the difference in clinical time spent in neuro-ophthalmology spent between the current day compared with that shortly after completing clinical training. Linear regression was used to identify potential relationships between the above and average wait time. RESULTS: On average, responding physicians spent 70% of their clinical time on neuro-ophthalmology. In 6 states, there were no reported practicing neuro-ophthalmologists, and in only 8 states was the clinical full-time equivalent to population ratio below the suggested threshold of 1 for every 1.2 million. The median wait time for a new patient was 6 weeks. This wait time was associated with the fraction of clinical time spent in neuro-ophthalmology (0.2 weeks longer wait for a 10 percentage point increase in the fraction of time spent in neuro-ophthalmology; P = 0.02), and suggestively associated with training (training in ophthalmology was associated with 1.0 week shorter wait time; P = 0.06). CONCLUSION: The survey suggests that neuro-ophthalmologists are unable to see patients in a timely manner and a decreasing number of clinicians are entering the field. Future interventions should be considered to incentivize neuro-ophthalmology training in ophthalmology and neurology residents such that the United States population is able to appropriately access neuro-ophthalmic care.
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