National estimates of mortality among physicians and other healthcare workers are lacking, say Patel, et al. (2025), who add that it is also unknown if distinct patterns exist across sex, race, and ethnicity. The researchers aimed to compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates among physicians, health are workers, and non–healthcare workers by sex, race, and ethnicity.

The National Vital Statistics System, a population-based registry of US death certificates, was used to obtain data on deaths among adults aged 25 to 74 years from January 2020 to December 2022 by usual occupation. Data were analyzed from January 2024 to December 2024. Overall and cause-specific mortality rates were calculated for each occupation, as well as sex, race, and ethnicity subgroups, and compared using mortality rate ratios. Mortality estimates were age-adjusted and sex-adjusted, and healthcare occupations were compared with non–healthcare occupations with similar income levels (categorized as low income, medium income, and high income based on U.S. Census income terciles).

Most healthcare workers had lower age-adjusted and sex-adjusted annual mortality rates per 100,000 population than non–healthcare workers (eg, physicians [269.3], high-income non–healthcare workers [499.2], and non–healthcare workers overall [730.6]). While female individuals had lower mortality than male individuals in non–healthcare occupations overall (female to male ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.55-0.55) and high-income non–healthcare occupations specifically (0.60; 95% CI, 0.60-0.60), this advantage was absent for several healthcare occupations, including physicians (0.97; 95% CI, 0.93-1.01). In particular, female physicians experienced higher mortality than male physicians of neoplasms and chronic lower respiratory diseases, despite lower mortality of these causes among female individuals in high-income non–healthcare occupations. Black workers had higher mortality than White workers across all occupations, although the Black to White mortality ratio was largest for physicians (2.13; 95% CI, 1.99-2.29), with the largest differences due to neoplasms, heart disease, and COVID-19. Black female physicians had higher mortality rates than all other physician subgroups and White female individuals in non–healthcare occupations. While Hispanic workers had lower mortality than White workers in non–healthcare occupations overall (Hispanic to White ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.83-0.83) and high-income non–healthcare occupations specifically (0.90; 95% CI, 0.90-0.91), this pattern was reversed for several health care occupations, including physicians (1.18; 95% CI, 1.09-1.27).

The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that although physicians and most healthcare workers experienced lower mortality rates compared with the general population, this benefit did not fully extend to female individuals or racial and ethnic minority groups. Renewed efforts are needed to address health inequities within the healthcare workforce, the researchers say.

Reference: Patel VR, et al. Mortality Among US Physicians and Other Health Care Workers. JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 24, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.8432