National Trends in Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Decade of Enhanced Access, Improved Tumor Clearance, and Implications for Future Workforce Planning
Samantha S. Sattler, Victoria R. SharonBACKGROUND
Historically, geographic disparities have reduced access to Mohs surgery across various regions of the United States.
OBJECTIVE
To assess nationwide distribution of Mohs surgeons over time, compared to state census data and average number of Mohs stages.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis was performed using the Medicare Public Use Files for 2013 and 2023.
RESULTS
From 2013 to 2023, there was an overall national increase (+13.76%) in number of Mohs surgeons per capita. Only District of Columbia (−4.79%), MN (−11.20%), ND (−7.72%), RI (−4.06%), SC (−8.26%), SD (−21.23%), TN (−12.81%), VT (−3.05%), and WV (−9.73%) exhibited decreases in Mohs surgeons per capita. All these experienced either no change or a decrease in Mohs surgeon number while census increased, except for SC, in which population growth outpaced Mohs surgeon number growth. Most states also experienced a decrease in numbers of Mohs stages performed over time. Only HI, ME, and NE exhibited increases in number of stages on all anatomic sites. AL (+1.14%), ID (+6.59%), KS (+0.33%), MS (+7.05%), MT (+2.24%), and UT (+6.71%) exhibited increases in Mohs stages on the trunk/extremities only.
CONCLUSION
National per capita access to Mohs surgeons has increased while number of Mohs surgery stages have decreased over the last decade of Medicare data.