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First-Ever Analysis of U.S. Physician Interest in Telemedicine

Research Finds Doctors Doing Telemedicine Doubled from 2015-2018; Increasing 20 Percent Per Year

Doximity, a professional medical network, has published the first comprehensive data study examining physician employment trends in the field of telemedicine. This is the first study of its kind to analyze U.S. physician interest in telemedicine jobs, examining interest by age, employment status, gender, geographic location and specialty.

The study found that the number of physicians who self-reported telemedicine as a skill between 2015 and 2018 has doubled and continues to increase annually by 20 percent. This growth in physician interest correlates with the increasing number of telemedicine patient visits, which has jumped 261 percent annually between 2015 and 2017, according to a recent report published in JAMA.

Radiology professionals showed interest in telemedicine according to the study’s key findings.

“When looking at specialists who are most interested in telemedicine opportunities, radiology and psychiatry were the two top specialties. Anesthesiology and general surgery were the least interested of the specialties,” according to the study.

Top 15 Specialties Most Engaged with Telemedicine Job Postings

  1. Radiology
  2. Psychiatry
  3. Internal Medicine
  4. Neurology
  5. Family Medicine
  6. Dermatology
  7. Pediatrics
  8. Emergency Medicine
  9. Geriatrics
  10. Allergy & Immunology
  11. Endocrinology
  12. Infectious Disease
  13. Urology
  14. Pediatric Pulmonology
  15. Occupational Medicine

The study also found that radiology and radiation specialties are among those most interested in telemedicine.

Top 10 Specialties Most Interested in Locum Tenens Positions

  1. Anesthesiology
  2. Emergency Medicine
  3. Radiology
  4. Neurology
  5. Thoracic Surgery
  6. Pathology
  7. Radiation Oncology
  8. Pulmonology
  9. Urology
  10. Nephrology

Doximity also observed growing physician interest in locum tenens work, which is a temporary physician employment opportunity that is considered part-time. Many telemedicine positions are also part time, so this could signal a growing trend of physicians gravitating towards more flexible clinical positions.

“With this unique data set, for the first time we can narrowly study physicians and their relationship with alternative clinical opportunities, such as telemedicine and locum tenens opportunities,” said Christopher Whaley, PhD, lead author of the study and adjunct assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

Additonal key findings include:

Female Physicians Are More Interested in Telemedicine Job Opportunities

When analyzing physician interest in job opportunities by gender, the data shows that women were 10 percent more interested in telemedicine jobs, relative to men.

Millennial and Boomer Physicians Agree: All Age Groups are Interested in Telemedicine

When examining physician interest by age, the study found nearly equal engagement in telemedicine job postings across different age groups.

  • 30-40 years old: 28.4 percent
  • 40- 50 years old: 26. 5 percent
  • 50-60 years old: 23.5 percent
  • 60-70 years old: 17.6 percent

Male Job-Seekers are More Likely to Pursue Opportunities in Locum Tenens

Conversely, when evaluating physician interest in locum tenens opportunities by gender, women were significantly less engaged than their male counterparts.

  • Men’s Interest in Locum Tenens: 73.6 percent
  • Women’s Interest in Locum Tenens: 26.4 percent

Physicians Who Live in Large Metro Areas are Most Interested in Telemedicine Opportunities

When examining physician interest by location, Doximity ranked the top U.S. metros that had the highest number of physicians expressing interest in telemedicine. The findings show that most of the physicians currently reside in highly-populated metro areas. The top five U.S. metros with the most physicians engaging with telemedicine job posts include:

  • San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif.
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Fla.
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga.
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.
  • Salt Lake City, Utah

“Our research shows that doctors are embracing telemedicine as an alternative to traditional clinical practices, which is good news for patients,” said Dr. Amit Phull, Vice President of Strategy and Insights at Doximity. “By removing physical limitations, physicians can now expand their patient-base to rural areas that are currently underserved by different specialties. If you start to view the physician shortage as a problem of where the doctors are located, which is mainly in the major metros, it’s easy to see how more telemedicine can help address this serious challenge.”

Methodology

This study used data from Doximity on engagement with job postings on the Doximity network. Posted positions reflect those that were advertised through the Doximity network, the largest professional medical network with over 70 percent of all U.S. doctors as members. Engagement is defined as a physician taking action in response to a job posting by clicking on a posting to “see more,” OR submitting a resume or scheduling an input call.

Founded in 2011, Doximity connects physicians and clinicians to make them more successful and productive. To learn more, visit www.doximity.com.

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