How to plug the leaky pipeline in clinical rheumatology across Europe-lessons to be learned from experiences in business.

Objectives: While >50% of medical students and residents are women, their proportion drastically diminishes within higher ranks and leadership roles; this is known as the 'leaky pipeline'. We aimed to evaluate the leaky pipeline among rheumatologists across Europe and to assess determinants inducing rheumatologists to leave hospitals.

Methods: Experts in the field of economics developed a questionnaire with scientific focus on the leaky pipeline among rheumatologists, which was distributed electronically by national scientific societies of EULAR countries and by individual contacts.