Overworked and underpaid—survey reveals radiologists' thoughts on after-hours work
New survey data are offering a glimpse into the unfiltered opinions radiologists have of working late hours.
Overnight cases have risen significantly in recent years. Even before the onset of COVID-19, data suggested that radiologists’ after-hours workloads had doubled in proportion to the increase in emergency department visits between 2015 and 2022.
This is especially true of CT studies. Previous research has demonstrated an imbalance in work that has disproportionately affected radiologists, with some revealing that while ED visits have increased by around 30% over recent decades, emergency CT requisitions have ballooned by up to 330%. This has left radiologists with increasingly burdensome workloads, making them more vulnerable to burnout.
Now, new survey responses published in Emergency Radiology are shining a light on the dissatisfaction radiologists have with various aspects of overnight work. Experts distributed surveys gauging the views of radiologists on imaging volumes, compensation, overnight challenges and work-from-home options relative to overnight work. The American College of Radiology collaborated with a third-party market research agency to analyze the data.
The survey garnered a total of 1,109 responses. Over half (56%) reported working after-hour shifts, while 18% and 13% worked late evening and overnight hours. In terms of workload, the majority of respondents indicated that the after-hours volumes they experience are not manageable and that the compensation is not equitable.
What’s more, most respondents also signaled they were not given an appropriate amount of compensatory time off to rest following their after-hours shifts. As such, the majority supported work-from-home options, corresponding author Suzanne Chong, MD, with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues noted.
The group suggested these findings should be taken into account when organizations are recruiting providers to cover such shifts.
“As the largest survey to date on after-hours radiology, these findings should be carefully considered by practices aiming to successfully recruit and retain radiologists in this critical niche,” the authors concluded.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.