Physician Data Initiative
The ability to understand the shifting dynamics of the physician workforce continuum relative to the needs of patients and communities is fundamental to improving the health of the nation. In pursuit of this goal, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) are collaborating through the Physician Data Initiative, a working group founded in 2021 to establish a standard practice for categorizing, collecting, reporting, and sharing sociodemographic data.
Through the Physician Data Initiative, the AAMC, ACGME, and AMA aim to enable meaningful collaboration by sharing better data for advancing research regarding a more diverse and culturally prepared physician workforce. Beginning with the development of standard data definitions and approaches to the collection and sharing of data, this initiative sets the foundation for expanded access to physician workforce data across the continuum of medical education, clinical practice, and research.
What is the Physician Data Initiative?
The AAMC, ACGME, and AMA have collaborated to establish a common understanding for categorizing, reporting, and voluntarily sharing sociodemographic data, beginning with race and ethnicity and language proficiency. The next areas under consideration include sexual orientation and gender identity. These efforts will enable meaningful collaboration with organizations across the medical education and workforce continuum to better understand, impact, and identify solutions to the most pressing diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges. There is great benefit to voluntarily adopting mutually agreed-upon values and structure for consistently gathering and disaggregating data that will continue to improve medical care.
How does the group identify appropriate definitions and standards?
The group identifies, reviews, and evaluates existing standards and best practices by leveraging internal experts and consulting with well-known and respected industry groups with expertise in specific areas. The standards align with federal practice where applicable, including the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why is this work being done?
This work is driven by the importance of a diverse physician workforce and a more equitable health system. Effective and timely data is a fundamental and foundational requirement for conducting research across the physician workforce continuum. Consistent and standardized data definitions, collection, ability to share information, and access to key demographics can lead to better understanding, solutions, and ideas for change. While the goal is not to mandate standards broadly across organizations, there is great benefit to adopting mutually agreed-upon values and structure for gathering and disaggregating data in a consistent manner.
Once the definitions and standards are released, is any organization free to use them?
Absolutely. A foundational purpose of this work is to identify and adopt common data definitions and categories in health care to advance research in a meaningful way.
Can other organizations participate in this work?
There are several ways to participate. As noted above, the group is actively engaging organizations with specific expertise in identifying definitions and data categories. Other organizations may also elect to work with the group, or individual members of the group, on research topics of interest.
About the Sponsoring Organizations
About the ACGME
The ACGME is an independent, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that sets and monitors voluntary professional educational standards essential in preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care to all Americans. Graduate medical education (GME) refers to the period of education in a particular specialty (residency) or subspecialty (fellowship) following medical school; the ACGME oversees the accreditation of residency and fellowship programs in the US, and of the institutions that sponsor those programs.
About the AMA
The AMA is the only national medical association that represents all physicians and medical students and convenes 190+ state, local, and specialty medical societies. Since 1847, the AMA has followed its mission: to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. As physicians’ powerful ally in patient care, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice, removes obstacles that interfere with patient care, leads the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises, and drives the future of medicine. The AMA’s system of governance and policy-making includes the Board of Trustees, House of Delegates, executive vice president, councils and committees, special member groups and sections, and AMA senior leadership and staff members.
About the AAMC
The AAMC is a non-profit association dedicated to improving the health of people everywhere through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaborations. Its members are all 158 US medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education; 13 accredited Canadian medical schools; approximately 400 teaching hospitals and health systems, including Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and more than 70 academic societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC leads and serves American medical schools and teaching hospitals and the millions of individuals across academic medicine, including more than 193,000 full-time faculty members; 96,000 medical students; 153,000 resident physicians; and 60,000 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences. Following a 2022 merger, the Alliance of Academic Health Centers and the Alliance of Academic Health Centers International broadened the AAMC’s US membership and expanded its reach to international academic health centers.