BALTIMORE, April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The number of Hispanic and African American/Black urologists practicing in the United States continued to increase in 2021. In 2020, there were 497 (3.8%) Hispanic practicing urologists and 268 (2.1%) African American/Black practicing urologists and those numbers rose to 584 (4.4%) and 321 (2.4%) respectively in 2021.

This new data, as well as further findings regarding the growing number of urologists utilizing telemedicine in the United States and the causes and impact of professional burnout, are highlighted in the American Urological Association's (AUA) newly released 2021 Annual Census report, The State of the Urology Workforce and Practice in the United States.

Committed to providing a definitive basis of data regarding the urology community, the AUA launched its first Annual Census in 2014. It not only defined and estimated the practicing urologist population, but for the first time in the history of urology, reported the workforce and practice characteristics of the entire population of practicing urologists. Today, the Census remains a novel data source that explores the urological profession and reports both cross-sectional variations and trends. Results from the survey provide an array of information aimed at bridging knowledge gaps, meeting increased research needs and ultimately, improving patient care.

Additional findings from the 2021 AUA Census:

• The 2021 U.S. urologist population consists of 13,790 practicing urologists.
• While the urologic workforce in the United States remains predominantly male, the percentage of female urologists continued to rise to 10.9%, up from 8.8% in 2017.
• The states with the highest number of practicing urologists include California, Florida, New York and Texas. Wyoming has the lowest number of practicing urologists.
• More than half of practicing urologists within the United States are over the age of 54, while nearly 30% are aged 65 or older.
• Approximately 81% of practicing urologists participated in telemedicine in 2021.
• Among practicing urologists who experienced professional burnout, nearly 46% of them reported that the COVID-19 pandemic attributed to that burnout.

"The AUA U.S. Census data continue to demonstrate an evolving urology workforce, as well as other facets of the specialty, including the long-term structural and practical impacts of COVID-19 on practicing urologists," said Danil V. Makarov, MD, MHS, chair of the AUA Data Committee. "The Census serves as a resource about the realities of practicing urology during a pandemic for the urology community as a whole as well as health policy leaders."

Further data trends regarding work/life balance, patient visits, retirement details, as well as other practice characteristics can be found in the 2021 report. The full report can be found on the AUA website at www.AUAnet.org/CensusReport.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Media Contact:
Caitlin Lukacs, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 
410-689-4081, clukacs@auanet.org

SOURCE American Urological Association