208 - Understanding the Canadian Interventional Radiology Landscape Through the Canadian Association of Interventional Radiology (CAIR) Database: A Descriptive Study

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

3:09 PM - 3:18 PM ET

Presenting Author(s)

AD

Anand Dhatt, MD

Resident
University of British Columbia, Canada

Author/Co-author(s)

Nd

Nevin de Korompay, MD

Clinical Instructor
University of British Columbia, Canada
Manraj Kanwal Singh Heran, MD (he/him/his)

Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiologist; Pediatric Interventional Radiologist
BC Children's Hospital; Vancouver General Hospital, Canada
MC

Matthew Chang

Student
SImon Fraser University, Canada
SH

Stephen Ho, MD

Staff Physician
Vancouver General Hospital, Canada
DL

David Liu, MD FRCPC FSIR

Associate Clinical Professor School of Biomedical Engineering
Vancouver Imaging, United States
LC

Leandro Cardarelli Leite, MD

Interventional Radiologist
University of Western Ontario, Canada
BF

Bruce Forster, MD

Staff Physician
University of British Columbia, Canada
AH

Alison Harris, MD

Vancouver General Hospital
Staff Physician, Canada
RD

Ravjot Dhatt, MD

Staff Physician
Vancouver General Hospital, Canada

Purpose: Physicians in Canada are disproportionately concentrated in urban centers, with rural regions facing significant gaps in specialist care. The geo-spatial characteristics of Interventional Radiology (IR) in Canada have not been systematically studied. This study examines the distribution of Canadian Association of Interventional Radiology (CAIR) members and the sociodemographic characteristics of the populations they serve.

Materials and Methods: A list of active members of the Canadian Association of IR (CAIR) was obtained in May 2025. Data from the Canadian Census was used to gather census division (CD)-level information on population size and demographics including data on ethnicity, income, education, employment, and income. CDs were grouped and compared between those with access to IR care and those without, compared between top and bottom quartiles for each population characteristic, and mapped.

Results: Of 293 CDs in Canada, only 48 (19.6%) had at least one IR, leaving 31.6% of the national population without local access. IRs were strongly clustered in high-population CDs, with Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal alone accounting for 56.5% of IRs. CDs with IRs had significantly higher mean populations (527,322 vs. 47,675; p< 0.001), median incomes ($82,760 vs. $75,821; p=0.002), and educational attainment (31% vs. 16%; p< 0.001). Conversely, CDs with higher proportions of the population being Indigenous were less likely to have IRs (5% vs. 14%; p< 0.001).

Conclusion: CAIR member IRs are disproportionately concentrated in large urban centers, leaving substantial geographic disparities. Addressing this maldistribution will require coordinated strategies, including outreach models, telehealth integration, and national workforce planning.