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UPJ INSIGHT Patient Demand for Urologists in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis
By: Michael Wynne, MD candidate, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Haig Pakhchanian, MD candidate, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Rahul Raiker, MD candidate, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown; Timothy Batter, MD, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Michael Whalen, MD, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia | Posted on: 20 Apr 2023
Wynne M, Pakhchanian H, Raiker R, Batter T, Whalen M. Patient demand for urologists in the United States: a Google trends analysis. Urol Pract. 2023;10(2):155-160.
Study Need and Importance
An expanding, aging population in the United States poses a substantial challenge to the urology workforce. Adults age 65 years and older account for one of the most rapidly growing segments of the population and utilize urological services at a higher rate than the general population. Exacerbating the increasing need for urological services is an aging urology workforce and shortage of urologists. Quantifying and tracking patient demand on a geographic basis will help urologists determine how to best meet health care needs across the nation as we face this unprecedented challenge.
What We Found
Through analysis of Google Trends data, we found that the urologist demand index was highest in Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. The states with the lowest calculated demand indices were South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon, and New Hampshire.
Limitations
A single search term, “urologist,” was used to determine search volumes utilized in the demand index calculation. Urological condition-focused search terms were not included. This study may overestimate demand as Internet searches including “urologist” are not limited to individuals seeking urological care. On the other hand, this study may underestimate demand in populations adversely affected by the digital divide. Finally, while most Americans utilize the Internet, variation in Internet access and usage across states may bias the demand calculations.
Interpretation for Patient Care
The states of highest demand highlighted in this study may represent areas with an unmet need for urological care. Interventions to expand access to care may be best focused in these regions of high demand. Furthermore, these findings may aid urologists in determining where to establish practice and policy makers in determining where to allocate resources in order to provide equitable, accessible, and high-quality urological care throughout the United States (see Figure).
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