Estimation of the Supply and Demand for Cardiologists in Argentina

PP 21-26

Abstract

Introduction
To plan the necessary human resources in cardiology, we should know the number and distribution of cardiologists throughout the country, so as to adapt the supply of professionals to the demand of the population.

Objectives
To estimate the number of cardiologists on active duty in Argentina; to relate it to the number of inhabitants; to compare this index to the index in other countries; and to determine an optimal recommended number of cardiologists per million of inhabitants, in order to improve the balance between supply and demand of professionals; as well as to estimate the number of in-training cardiologists from residency programs.

Material and Methods

In 2007, a search in different sources was carried out to determine the number of cardiologists on active duty in the country. The total number –and the number per province– was estimated using the register of fellow cardiologists of the Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología and the Federación Argentina de Cardiología, and also including the specialists registered in the Medical Associations in the country. The number of in-training cardiologists was provided by the Comisión Nacional de Residentes de Cardiología. The optimal reference value was defined as the recommended number of cardiologists per million inhabitants, determined on the basis of a model of demand.

Results

The number of cardiologists was estimated in 7,468 professionals, which represented a relation of 195 cardiologists per million inhabitants, 4.5 times higher than the optimal recommended relation (1,720 cardiologists in all for the whole country, or 43 cardiologists per million inhabitants). Of those, 51% cardiologists work in Buenos Aires city and in the province of Buenos Aires. The number of physicians training in cardiology all over the country was 792 (from 1st to 4th years), that is, 21 in-training cardiologists per million inhabitants.

Conclusions
This study served the purpose of estimating the number of cardiologists in Argentina, and its relationship with the needs of the population, according to a model of demand. Al- though the design of this work could encounter various limitations, the number of cardiologists per million inhabitants seems to far surpass the indexes found and recommended in Europe and in the United States. The same surplus is present in the individual analysis of each province, and in the number of new in-training cardiologists. This information could be useful in guiding the educational role of the scientific societies regarding the planning of resources in the specialty.