Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39522080›Full record

ArticleAnnals of nuclear medicine2025

Increased individual workload for nuclear medicine physicians over the past years: 2008-2023 data from The Netherlands.

Asaad A H Amasha, Ömer Kasalak, Andor W J M Glaudemans, Walter Noordzij, Rudi A J O Dierckx, Klaas-Pieter Koopmans, Thomas C Kwee

Abstract read
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Article in Annals of nuclear medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Quantitation of PET spatial extent as a potential adjunct to visual interpretation of [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Asaad A H AmashaDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Ömer KasalakDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Andor W J M GlaudemansDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Walter NoordzijDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Rudi A J O DierckxDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Klaas-Pieter KoopmansDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Thomas C KweeDepartments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Medical Imaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands. thomaskwee@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9005-8529

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objeciveTo investigate temporal trends in the individual workload of nuclear medicine physicians at a large tertiary care academic center between 2008 and 2023.

methodsThis study analyzed the reporting workload of nuclear medicine physicians in a large tertiary care academic center in The Netherlands on 36 unique (randomly sampled) calendar days, for each year between 2008 and 2023. The average daily departmental workload (measured with relative value units) was calculated for each year between 2008 and 2023. The individual workload was calculated by dividing the average daily departmental workload in each year by the available full-time equivalent nuclear medicine physicians in each year. Mann-Kendall tests were used to assess for any temporal monotonic trends in individual workload and types of nuclear medicine procedures performed.

resultsIndividual workload increased significantly between 2008 and 2023 (Mann-Kendall tau of 0.611, P = 0.001). Individual workload in 2023 was 86% higher than in 2008. The use of positron emission tomography (PET) increased significantly (Mann-Kendall tau of 0.912, P < 0.001) between 2008 and 2023. The use of diagnostic scintigraphy decreased significantly in the same period (Mann-Kendall tau of -0.817, P < 0.001). The use of DEXA also showed a significant decrease (Mann-Kendall tau of -0.467, P = 0.013), but this decrease was negligible on a relative scale. The number of therapeutic procedures (Mann-Kendall tau of -0.100, P = 0.626) remained statistically stable in this period.

conclusionsOur single-center study showed that the individual workload of nuclear medicine physicians has increased significantly between 2008 and 2023, driven by the rise in PET scans. The demand for both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures and associated workload is expected to keep on increasing in the foreseeable future. This workload trend should be taken into account by policymakers involved in nuclear medicine staffing planning. A healthy balance between the nuclear medicine workforce and workload is necessary to maintain the quality of care, to be able to perform other important (academic) tasks such as research, educating and training medical students and residents, and management, and to prevent physician burnout and dropout.

Indexed as

Nuclear MedicinePhysiciansWorkloadHumansNetherlandsNuclear medicineWorkforceWorkload

Identifiers

PMID39522080

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.