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Shortage of critical specialty doctor impacts patients nationwide 95%
4/12/2026, 11:48:47 PM
BS Summary: This video contains 26 faulty reasoning types, including Anecdotal, Hasty Generalization, and Availability Heuristic, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 31.8% saturation with 128 hits. Analysis detected 1,213 faulty-reasoning hits from 402 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 91.7% and a BS Rank of 95% (954 of 16,813 videos). This video is worse (more manipulative) than 94.30% of the video peer group.
At just 32, Alexandra DGO already has an extensive medical resume.
>> I've had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 15.
>> Telling her story on social media.
>> I've seen over 30 doctors, documenting how her knee swells with fluid.
>> It's very painful.
>> When your knee fills up like that, can you walk?
>> No. Nope. I need assistance walking.
It's very difficult. Also difficult these days finding a rheatologist, specialized doctors who treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
>> After moving from Atlanta to New York, it took Alexandra months to see one.
So you went end of May, June, July, August, September, basically 5 months before you could get in to see your doctor.
>> Yes. And I was living up here, so I had no rheatologist that I could just call to get a favor to come on in.
>> It may get worse.
Each year, autoimmune illnesses increase an estimated 3 to 12%.
And rheumatology is not a lucrative specialty like surgery.
One study predicts demand for rheumatologists will outpace supply by 102% by the next decade.
Dr. Daniel Baferano co-chared the study.
>> I would say the primary problem is we don't have an adequate number of rheumatology care providers in the United States.
Here in rural America, there's not many doctors, so access to care can be a problem.
>> Most rheatologists are in urban areas.
72% of the nation's counties have no active rheumatologists.
>> If I called your office today, how long would it take me for a new patient?
The wait is around 6 months.
Heat exposure.
>> You see Dr. Natalie Azar on NBC News.
>> But her media demands are nothing compared to her rheatology practice.
>> I come in early. I see them over my lunch hour or I stay late. And that's what most of us have to do at this point.
There are training programs to attract new doctors and efforts to increase nurse practitioners and physician assistants to help.
Alexandra will tell you the need is great.
Not having access to a rheatologist is terrifying.
>> A fear patients and doctors want to cure.
And Thompson, NBC News, New York.
>> We thank you for watching and remember,
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Analysis
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