What Provides the Best Value for Your Time in Spine Surgery? An Analysis of Relative Value Units.

IF 1.6 4区医学 Q3 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Clinical Spine Surgery Pub Date : 2025-02-17 DOI:10.1097/BSD.0000000000001771

Muhammad B Tariq, Trevor Simcox, Jacob Becker, Anthony Petrizzo, Shuriz Hishmeh

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Design: Retrospective database analysis.

Objective: This study aims to assess the RVU compensation model for the most common spine surgeries.

Background: Physician work is commonly valued by utilizing the relative value unit (RVU) model for compensation. Our aim in this study was to assess RVU and RVU per minute valuations of the most common spine procedures comparing cervical versus lumbar and fusion versus non-fusion cases.

Methods: The ACS-NSQIP database was utilized to identify the most commonly performed spine procedures. RVU and RVU per minute values were calculated and compared in each group.

Results: In all, 18,779 entries encompassing 28 CPT codes/code combinations were identified. Average RVUs were higher in cervical spine cases compared with lumbar cases (29 vs. 20 RVUs, respectively). Furthermore, cervical cases had significantly higher RVUs per minute compensation compared with lumbar cases (0.26 vs. 0.18 RVUs/min; P=0.01). Fusion cases also fared higher average RVUs compared with nonfusion cases (28 vs. 19 RVUs, respectively). However, when corrected for operative time, fusion cases did not differ significantly in RVUs per minute (P=0.13).

Conclusions: Cervical spine surgery provides the best value for the surgeon in terms of RVUs per minute. We highlight key aspects of the compensation model in spine surgery.

Level of evidence: Level III-economic study.

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来源期刊

Clinical Spine Surgery Medicine-Surgery

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

5.30%

发文量

236

期刊介绍： Clinical Spine Surgery is the ideal journal for the busy practicing spine surgeon or trainee, as it is the only journal necessary to keep up to date with new clinical research and surgical techniques. Readers get to watch leaders in the field debate controversial topics in a new controversies section, and gain access to evidence-based reviews of important pathologies in the systematic reviews section. The journal features a surgical technique complete with a video, and a tips and tricks section that allows surgeons to review the important steps prior to a complex procedure. Clinical Spine Surgery provides readers with primary research studies, specifically level 1, 2 and 3 studies, ensuring that articles that may actually change a surgeon’s practice will be read and published. Each issue includes a brief article that will help a surgeon better understand the business of healthcare, as well as an article that will help a surgeon understand how to interpret increasingly complex research methodology. Clinical Spine Surgery is your single source for up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations for spine care.