Shortage of Endocrinologists Expected to Get Even Worse

“Many endocrinologists are retiring at age 60 or 65 because of the hassles of practice,” Dr. Gharib said. Added Dr. Rettinger: “A lot of older endocrinologists are leaving the field earlier than they might otherwise because of paperwork hassles.”

With endocrinologists in short supply, internists and family physicians are stepping in to take up the slack in treating patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, Dr. Gharib said. But that doesn't always lead to optimal care, he said.

Dr. Rettinger admitted there are no easy answers to increasing the number of endocrinologists. However, he said, making changes to training programs to eliminate mandatory research could help, and continuing to have a strong advocacy group will help educate payers and lawmakers and could lead to improvements.

Dr. Helena Rodbard, an endocrinologist in Rockville, Md., estimates that the shortfall of endocrinologists could now be 15% or greater. Sheri Mattes/Elsevier Global Medical News