Appendix C:  Pediatric Rheumatology Data Sources

The results of previously published studies identified by a systematic review of the pediatric subspecialty workforce literature were synthesized for this report.  In addition to these published studies, analyses were performed using 2003 data from the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), which certifies pediatric rheumatologists and other pediatric subspecialists, and 2001 and 2004 membership data from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

For most States (n=35) the ABP and ACR files identify equal numbers of non-trainee providers (Table 2); States highlighted in yellow have unequal numbers.  Each of these data sources has their unique advantages and disadvantages.  The ABP data provide data on all Board-certified pediatric rheumatologists, date of certification, and year of graduation.  The file excludes deceased and retired providers; however, from this file one cannot determine if a given diplomate currently is involved in rheumatology patient care.  In addition, there are likely physicians who provide pediatric rheumatology care who have not been certified, potentially resulting in an underestimate of the actual supply of these specialists. 

The ACR file, in contrast, relies upon self-reported specialty practice to identify pediatric rheumatologists and likely includes providers without formal pediatric rheumatology training.  The ACR file has the advantage of providing information on professional activities, practice site, and other disciplines.  These additional data allowed the exclusion from the estimates of physicians not currently involved in patient care.

In this report both the 2003 ABP and 2004 ACR files were used to perform analyses of supply.  To generate maps of practice locations of pediatric and internist rheumatologists data from the 2004 and 2001 ACR Membership Files, respectively, ^[ix] were used.  For analyses of the practice characteristics and professional activities of pediatric and internist rheumatologists the 2001 ACR Membership File was used; for analyses of practice location by year of graduation, the 2003 ABP data were used.

Table C.1:  Number of Pediatric Rheumatologists by State and Data Source

Table C.1:  Number of Pediatric Rheumatologists by Data Source, cont.