Exploring Industry Payments to Urology Residents: A Longitudinal Analysis Under the Sunshine Act

Objective

To explore the financial interactions between urology residents and the healthcare industry over a 5-year training period, assessing the implications of these interactions on medical education and practice considering the Physician Payments Sunshine Act.

Design

Longitudinal analysis of Open Payments data for a single class of urology residents from 2018 to 2023.

Setting

Data were extracted from the CMS Open Payments Database and cross-referenced with residency program information from the American Urological Association (AUA) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Participants

A cohort of 314 urology residents were identified to have matched in 2018, with 173 residents having reported financial interactions through the Open Payments Program (OPP), representing 55% of the cohort.

Results

Analysis revealed that $129,632 was disbursed to the 173 residents throughout their surgical training, with a significant majority (approximately three-quarters or around $100,000) allocated for food and beverage. A statistically significant difference in payment amounts was observed between genders, with male residents receiving an average of $869 compared to $454 for female residents. Payments increased progressively with each postgraduate year (PGY) level, peaking in the fifth year. Despite notable disparities in compensation across AUA sections, no statistically significant variation was found (p = 0.21). The study also highlighted the underestimation of industry influence due to discretionary and heterogeneous reporting practices.

Conclusions

The study underscores a significant, yet potentially underreported, financial interaction between urology residents and the healthcare industry, suggesting a deepening relationship as residents progress through their training. The findings call for a more uniform reporting system to enhance transparency and provide a clearer understanding of the industry's role in medical education and practice. Additionally, many residents may not be aware that their financial interactions are being documented and made public, a factor that could influence their professional behavior and expectations.