Who is treating venous disease in America today?

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the specialty, board certification, and training of physicians who are treating venous disease in the United States. Methods: Internet searches were performed to identify the websites of physicians who treat venous disease in large metropolitan areas. The websites of large multistate venous corporations were also searched. The American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM) website was also used to identify venous providers. These providers were then searched for in the American Board of Medical Specialties website. The data were then analyzed statistically. Results: Physicians treating venous disease were certified in a large variety of medical, surgical, and radiologic specialties; 17.6% of providers did not have an active certification. For the South, Northeast, and Mid-West regions, physicians without an active board certification were more common than any other specialty. Vascular surgery was the most common specialty in the Western region. Providers employed by large multistate venous corporations compared with the remainder of the study sample were less likely to have an active primary certification (72.0% vs 87.4%; P = .001), to have received formal endovascular training (22.4% vs 36.0%; P = .013), or to maintain an active certificate in vascular surgery (6.5% vs 22.1%; P < .001). Corporate-employed relative to non-corporate-employed providers were more likely to hold an ABVLM certification (38.3% vs 17.6%; P < .001). Conclusions: There are a large number of physicians treating venous disease who do not have an active board certification. This was more common for physicians employed by a large multistate venous corporation. Physicians employed by a corporation were more likely to advertise a board certification from the ABVLM.