Overnight Diagnostic Radiology Practice Patterns in the United States

Purpose: To gain a better understanding of overnight diagnostic radiology coverage in the United States.

Methods/Materials: Specific questions regarding overnight coverage were added to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Membership tracking study. Shift definitions were included in the questionnaire, with evening shifts ending at or before 12am, late-evening shifts ending after 12am but before 2am, and overnight shifts ending after 2am.

Results: Out of 1109 practicing radiologists who completed the survey, 13% worked an overnight shift in the last 30 days. In total working hours over the past month, 81% of time was spent during weekday day shifts, 29% overnight, 16% evening, and 15% late evening. There was significant variability in the location of the overnight radiologist (home vs. hospital), with approximately 4 in 10 radiologists working night shift from a hospital, with hospital-practice types significantly more likely than private practice to say they frequently work overnight shifts from home (84% vs. 55%; p< 0.05), while academics infrequently work overnight shifts from home (34% vs. 8%; p< 0.05). A majority of those who work overnight shifts do not read studies from other states, with only 29% of respondents who work overnight shifts saying they frequently read out-of-state cases. The structure of overnight work is variable, with 41% frequently working 5-7 overnights in a row, with private practice more likely to engage in longer blocks of overnight work than academic practices. 39% of respondents receive no compensation time off for overnight shifts, while an additional 20% received less than 1 day off for each night worked (Figure 1).

Conclusions: An understanding of overnight diagnostic radiology practice patterns across the United States can help guide best practices and also inform group leaders on the competitive landscape for recruitment and retention.