Physicians with disabilities are more than twice as likely to consider leaving medicine and nearly twice as likely to reduce or pause clinical practice compared with peers who do not have disabilities, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open March 23.
The survey included responses from 5,917 US physicians across the U.S. It evaluated data from the 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians. Data was collected from May 10 to Nov. 9, 2022 and analyzed from Oct. 1, 2023 to May 1, 2025.
Here are seven takeaways from the study:
1. 1. Physicians with disabilities are a small but significant share of the workforce. Of 5,917 active physicians surveyed, 154 (2.6%) reported having a disability. A commentary accompanying the study noted this figure likely undercounts the true prevalence due to reluctance among physicians to disclose disability.
2. They’re more than twice as likely to consider leaving medicine. Physicians with disabilities had 2.22 times the odds of considering leaving practice compared to physicians without disabilities. In raw numbers, 36.4% of physicians with disabilities reported considering leaving medical practice within the past 12 months, versus 23.5% of those without disabilities.
3. They’re nearly twice as likely to pull back on clinical hours. Physicians with disabilities also had 1.94 times the odds of reducing clinical hours or pausing practice for at least 6 months.
4. Nearly half have already reduced or paused their practice. Overall, 44% of physicians with disabilities reported transitioning to part-time work or pausing practice at some point, compared with 24% of physicians without disabilities.
5. Physical health — not burnout — is the top reason for stepping back. Physical health concerns were the leading reason for reduced hours among physicians with disabilities (58%), followed by burnout (23%) and retirement (19%).
6. Workplace accommodations make a measurable difference. Among physicians with disabilities who received accommodations, 34% reported considering leaving medicine — compared with 54% of those who did not receive the accommodations they neededThat’s a 20-percentage-point gap tied directly to whether accommodation needs were met.
7. The stakes extend beyond individual doctors — a physician shortage looms. A commentary on the study noted these findings come amid projected physician shortages of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, making the retention of physicians with disabilities a workforce-level concern, not just an equity one.
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