Integration of the Community-Based Academic Radiologist With the Academic Radiology Department: A Strategic Imperative

Gender Differences in Domestic Responsibilities of Otolaryngologists-A Mixed-Methods Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Female otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons (OHNS) confront unique barriers. This study examines the influence of home life, especially gendered division of household labor, on leadership, productivity, and burnout.

METHODS

A survey was distributed through social media and national society list-serv. Demographics, responsibility for household roles, and Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel were included. Participants were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews, employing purposive sampling, with qualitative thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Response rate was 26.4% (145 of 550 of eligible participants; 38.7% women, 60.7% men). Significantly fewer women were married (64.3% vs. 92% of men, p < 0.001), and significantly more were childless (21.4% of women vs. 9.1% of men, p = 0.037). More men reported exclusive/major responsibility for five duties, including yard work and home maintenance (all p < 0.03). More women reported exclusive/major responsibility for 15 duties, including meal planning and coordinating childcare (all p < 0.03). Women had higher Emotional Exhaustion on univariate analysis (p = 0.015). Across 27 interviews, two main themes were identified, each with three associated subthemes: Theme one, "division of duties," with subthemes (1) the way household duties were divided, (2) traditional gender norms, and 3. changing duties over time/unexpected circumstances. Theme two, "impact of domestic duties," with subthemes (1) professional, (2) financial, and (3) burnout/life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Women OHNS disproportionately manage domestic responsibilities, possibly altering career trajectory for some OHNS. Burnout, especially emotional exhaustion, may be elevated due to inequitable labor. Future research should focus on identifying ways to improve equity for this group.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

N/A Laryngoscope, 2024.

Practical Strategies to Retain Radiologists

Since the great resignation associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, radiology practices are now challenged with maintaining adequate radiology staffing requirements to cope with increasing clinical workload requirements. The authors describe practical strategies for radiology practice leaders to retain radiologists in the current challenging job market, while mitigating their burnout.

Practical Approaches to Advancing Health Equity in Radiology, From the AJR Special Series on DEI

Despite significant advances in healthcare, many patients from medically underserved populations are impacted by existing healthcare disparities. Radiologists are uniquely positioned to decrease health disparities and advance health equity efforts in their practices. However, literature on practical tools for advancing radiology health equity efforts applicable to a wide variety of patient populations and care settings is lacking. Therefore, this article seeks to equip radiologists with an evidence-based and practical knowledge toolkit of health equity strategies, presented in terms of four pillars of research, clinical care, education, and innovation. For each pillar, equity efforts across diverse patient populations and radiology practice settings are examined through the lens of existing barriers, current best practices, and future directions, incorporating practical examples relevant to a spectrum of patient populations. Health equity efforts provide an opportune window to transform radiology through personalized care delivery that is responsive to diverse patient needs. Guided by compassion and empathy as core principles of health equity, leveraging the four pillars provides a helpful framework to advance health equity efforts as a step towards social justice in health.

Peer learning in breast imaging

With the increasing focus on quality and safety in medicine, radiology practices are increasingly transitioning from traditional score-based peer review to peer learning. Participation in a peer learning program can increase learning, practice improvement, and cultivation of interpersonal relationships in a non-punitive environment. As breast imaging errors are the most cited in medical malpractice cases, learning and attention to and reduction of these errors in breast imaging are especially important. We describe the strengths of a peer learning program, implementation process in a breast imaging program, challenges to overcome, and strategies to support success.

How Radiology Leaders Can Address Burnout

The 2018 Annual Workforce Survey conducted by the ACR Commission on Human Resources demonstrated that, although the majority of radiology practice leaders acknowledge radiologist burnout as a significant problem, only about one in five leaders responded that their practices were either extremely or very effective at addressing physician burnout. Moving forward, leaders will be increasingly held accountable and expected to describe to their teams their reasons for not addressing burnout. In this article, common misperceptions that may contribute to radiology practice leaders not addressing burnout are described, followed by outlining practical skills that leaders should develop to effectively address burnout.