Gaps in Workplace Injury Reporting Among Physicians to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Objective: This study aimed to identify gaps in nonfatal injury and illness (NII) reporting between physicians and other occupations.

Methods: Bureau of Labor Statistics data (2011-2019) were analyzed, comparing annualized NII incidence rates using incidence rate ratios (IRR), with physicians as the reference.

Results: Between 2011 and 2019, physicians reported significantly lower NII rates compared to high-hazard nonmedical occupations (IRR, 17.2-70.8; all P < 0.01) and most low-hazard nonmedical occupations (IRR, 1.2-6.3; all P < 0.01), except lawyers. NII rates among physicians were also lower than those in nonphysician medical occupations (IRR, 1.4-27.6; all P < 0.01). In 2020, relative NII rates between physicians and nonphysician medical occupations decreased but returned to prepandemic levels by 2021.

Conclusions: Physicians report significantly lower NII rates than other occupations, likely due to underreporting or undercounting, highlighting a potential gap in occupational injury data.