Don't miss this JAMA Netw Open article: Estimated Prevalence of US Physicians With Disabilities
The survey study represents the first systematic report of the prevalence and characteristics of practicing physicians with disabilities using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges 2019 National Sample Survey of Physicians.
The survey allowed physicians to self-disclose their disabilities from a list of 8 possible disability categories using the Americans With Disabilities Act definition.
The disability category most commonly reported was chronic health conditions (54 [30.1%]; 95% CI, 23.3%-36.9%), followed by mobility (51 [28.4%]; 95% CI, 21.7%-35.1%), psychological (25 [14.2%]; 95% CI, 9.0%-19.4%), other disabilities (eg, essential tremors: 24 [13.4%]; 95% CI, 8.3%-18.4%), hearing (22 [12.1%]; 95% CI, 7.3%-17.0%), adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (19 [10.4%]; 95% CI, 5.9%-14.9%), visual (14 [7.8%]; 95% CI, 3.8%-11.8%), and learning (5 [2.6%]; 95% CI, 0.2%-4.9%). Multiple disabilities (eg, hearing and mobility) were reported by 28 physicians (15.7%; 95% CI, 10.3%-21.1%).
This study used a representative sample of 6000 physicians, 178 of whom (3.1%; 95% CI, 2.6%-3.5%) self-identified as having a disability.
Nouri Z, Dill MJ, Conrad SS, Moreland CJ, Meeks LM. Estimated Prevalence of US Physicians With Disabilities. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(3):e211254. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.1254
