Physicians with disabilities were more than twice as likely to consider leaving medical practice and nearly twice as likely to reduce clinical hours or pause practice compared with physicians without disabilities, according to a survey study of US physicians.
In a cross-sectional analysis of 5,917 active physicians from the 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians, 154 respondents (2.6%) reported a disability. Among these physicians, 36.4% reported considering leaving medical practice within the past 12 months compared with 23.5% of physicians without disabilities. After adjustment for demographic and workplace factors, physicians with disabilities had 2.22 times the odds of considering leaving practice and 1.94 times the odds of reducing clinical hours or pausing practice for at least 6 months.
Burnout was the most frequently cited reason for considering leaving practice in both groups, reported by 68% of physicians with disabilities and 77% of those without. Among physicians with disabilities, underlying health conditions of self or family were the second most common reason (53%), compared with 9% of physicians without disabilities. High-risk working conditions were also commonly cited in both groups.
Workplace accommodations were reported by 80% of physicians with disabilities. Among those who received accommodations, 34% reported considering leaving medicine, compared with 54% of those who did not receive accommodations they needed, suggesting a potential association between accommodations and retention.
A higher proportion of physicians with disabilities reported reducing clinical hours or pausing practice. Overall, 44% reported transitioning to part-time work or pausing practice at some point compared with 24% of physicians without disabilities. Physical health concerns were the leading reason for this change among physicians with disabilities (58%), followed by burnout (23%) and retirement (19%).
Logistic regression models were adjusted for demographic and workplace characteristics, including age, gender, race and ethnicity, specialty group, weekly work hours, and practice setting. Data were collected from May 10 to November 9, 2022, and analyzed from October 1, 2023, to May 1, 2025.
Several limitations were noted. The survey included only active physicians and measured intent to leave rather than confirmed workforce exit. Disability status was self-reported and may be underrepresented due to concerns about disclosure or identification with the term. The survey also did not distinguish whether reduced work hours reflected voluntary accommodation or unmet needs, and the item assessing underlying health conditions combined those of physicians and family members.
In an invited commentary, Iezzoni noted that these findings come amid projected physician shortages of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, underscoring the importance of retaining physicians in the workforce. She also suggested that the 2.6% prevalence of disability reported in the survey may underestimate the true rate, as physicians may be reluctant to disclose disability. She added that physicians with disabilities may offer particularly valuable perspectives in caring for patients with disabilities, a historically underserved population.
“Sample participants reporting disability, 36.4% indicated their intention to leave clinical practice, compared with only 23.7% among nondisabled physicians,” noted Lisa Iezzoni, MD, MSc, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in an invited commentary.
“These findings highlight the critical role of workplace accommodations in retaining physicians with disabilities,” wrote lead study author Zoie C. Sheets, MD, MPH, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues.
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
