Medical imaging vacancy rates have improved this year compared with 2020, according to a new survey released by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT).
The ASRT Radiologic Sciences Staffing and Workplace Survey 2021 was conducted in February and included 457 radiology department managers across the U.S., most of whom (50.3%) work in hospitals.
It found vacancy levels for almost every modality decreased compared to the previous year. Exceptions were bone densitometry, which showed a slight vacancy rate increase, and MRI, which stayed steady, the society said.
The survey also found the following:
- Of those surveyed, 48.6% of respondents said their facility staff had adequate access to personal protective equipment throughout the pandemic.
- Of those surveyed, 46.2% said their department experienced decreased throughput during the pandemic.
- An average of 68.3% of staff in imaging departments were at least partially vaccinated.
- An average of 15% of staff in imaging departments contracted COVID-19 at some point during the pandemic.
The average number of full-time radiographers per imaging facility increased from 8.7 in 2019 to 9.3 in 2021, the ASRT said.
"This year saw a decrease in vacancy rates across most of the disciplines that we are tracking," said John Culbertson, ASRT director of research, in a statement released by the society. "However, caution should be taken when interpreting and generalizing this data due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey results should be viewed as a snapshot specific to the dates in which the data was collected."
