Abstract (and full text):
Context.—
Pathology
organizations in the United States are preparing for a new era of
health care reform. Trends in the supply of pathologists in Canada's
managed care system may provide some useful insights in any analysis and
projection of future pathologist needs in the United States.
Results.—
The annual number of new cancer cases increased from 129 300 to 171 000 from 1999 to 2009. The absolute numbers of both pathologists and oncologists also increased in this time period. However, while the increase in the number of radiation oncologists led to an 8.2% decrease in cancer cases per radiation oncologist, the modest increase in the number of pathologists led to an increase of 17.1% in cancer cases per pathologist.
Conclusions.—
There
is a trend toward a decreasing supply of Canadian pathologists relative
to that of cancer demands. This finding confirms an earlier
population-based study showing a decreased supply relative to population
and number of clinical physicians. It is uncertain whether this
decreased supply is a result of appropriate application of new,
efficient methods or whether health care has been rationed or adversely
impacted. Outcome measures to monitor Canadian pathology practice
quality are clearly needed.