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Khunte M, Zhong A, Wu X, Payabvash S, Gandhi D, Forman HP, Malhotra A. Distribution and Disparities of Industry Payments to Radiologists (2016-2020). Acad Radiol 2023; 30:3056-3063. [PMID: 37210267 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The frequency, magnitude, and distribution of industry payments to radiologists are not well understood. RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of industry payments to physicians working in diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, and radiation oncology, study the categories of payments and determine their correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Open Payments Database from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was accessed and analyzed for the period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020. Payments were grouped into six categories: consulting fees, education, gifts, research, speaker fees, and royalties/ownership. The total amount and types of industry payments going to the top 5% group were determined overall and for each category of payment. RESULTS From 2016 to 2020, a total of 513 020 payments, amounting to $370 782 608, were made to 28 739 radiologists suggesting that approximately 70% of the 41 000 radiologists in the US received at least one industry payment during the 5-year period. The median payment value was $27 (IQR: $15-$120) and the median number of payments per physician over the 5-year period was 4 (IQR: 1-13). Gifts were the most frequent payment type made (76.4%), but accounted for only 4.8% of payment value. The median total value of payments earned by members of the top 5% group over the 5-year period was $58 878 (IQR: $29 686-$162 425) ($11 776 per year) compared to $172 (IQR: $49-877) ($34 per year) in the bottom 95% group. Members of the top 5% group received a median of 67 (IQR: 26-147) individual payments (13 payments per year) while members of the bottom 95% group received a median of 3 (IQR: 1-11) (0.6 payments per year). CONCLUSION Between 2016 and 2020, industry payments to radiologists were highly concentrated both in terms of number/frequency and value of payments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihir Khunte
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Box 208042, Tompkins East 2, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06520-8042 (M.K., S.P., H.P.F., A.M.)
| | - Anthony Zhong
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (A.Z.)
| | - Xiao Wu
- Department of Radiology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California (X.W.)
| | - Seyedmehdi Payabvash
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Box 208042, Tompkins East 2, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06520-8042 (M.K., S.P., H.P.F., A.M.)
| | - Dheeraj Gandhi
- Department of Radiology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (D.G.)
| | - Howard P Forman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Box 208042, Tompkins East 2, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06520-8042 (M.K., S.P., H.P.F., A.M.)
| | - Ajay Malhotra
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Box 208042, Tompkins East 2, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06520-8042 (M.K., S.P., H.P.F., A.M.).
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Khunte M, Zhong A, Khunte A, Sanelli P, Forman H, Gandhi D, Malhotra A. Industry Payments to Radiologists During the Last 5 Years and Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic. J Am Coll Radiol 2023; 20:597-604. [PMID: 37148954 PMCID: PMC10158038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to assess the trends in industry payments to radiologists and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including trends in different categories of payments. METHODS The Open Payments Database from CMS was accessed and analyzed for the period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2021. Payments were grouped into six categories: consulting fees, education, gifts, research, speaker fees, and royalties or ownership. The total number, value, and types of industry payments to radiologists were subsequently determined and compared pre- and postpandemic from 2016 to 2021. RESULTS The total number of industry payments and the number of radiologists receiving these payments dropped by 50% and 32%, respectively, between 2019 and 2020, with only partial recovery in 2021. However, the mean payment value and total payment value increased by 177% and 37%, respectively, between 2019 and 2020. Gifts and speaker fees experienced the largest decreases between 2019 and 2020 (54% and 63%, respectively). Research and education grants were also disrupted, with the number of payments decreasing by 37% and 36% and payment value decreasing by 37% and 25%, respectively. However, royalty or ownership increased during the first year of the pandemic (8% for number of payments and 345% for value of payments). CONCLUSIONS There was significant decline in overall industry payments coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, with biggest declines in gifts and speaker fees. The impact on the different categories of payments and recovery in the last 2 years has been heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihir Khunte
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | | | | | - Pina Sanelli
- Professor of Radiology, Vice Chairman of Research, Department of Radiology, Northwell Health, Manhasset, New York
| | - Howard Forman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dheeraj Gandhi
- Professor and Director, Interventional Neuroradiology; Professor of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ajay Malhotra
- Director of Research, Neuroradiology; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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Kwee RM, Kwee TC. Health Care Industry Payments to Editorial Board Members of Imaging-related Journals. Radiology 2022; 303:399-403. [PMID: 35076298 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.212527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Editorial board members may be biased due to conflicts of interest (COIs). Purpose To investigate the frequency and amount of payments from industry to editorial board members of imaging-related journals and whether they are in agreement with the disclosure status as provided by the journal. Materials and Methods Editorial board members of 15 U.S.-based imaging-related journals who were listed in the Open Payments database (OPD) were included. Payments from industry to editorial board members in the year 2020 were extracted from the OPD and compared with publicly available COI disclosure data as provided by the journals. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 519 editorial board members were included, of whom 214 (41%) received industry payment and 305 (59%) did not. Payments to editorial board members by the industry ranged from $12.63 to $404 625.47 (median, $2397.48). Most payments from industry (59%) were ascribed to consulting. Editorial board members of the journals JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging and Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology received significantly higher amounts of individual payments from industry than editorial board members of most other journals. Financial COI disclosures were not publicly listed for 413 of the 519 (80%) editorial board members, 169 of whom received payments from industry according to the OPD. Of the 106 editorial board members whose financial COI disclosures were publicly listed, 36 (34%) were discordant with the OPD. Conclusion Payments from industry to Open Payments database-listed editorial board members of imaging-related journals are prevalent. Imaging-related journals often do not report or do not accurately report payments from industry to their editorial board members © RSNA, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Kwee
- From the Department of Radiology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen/Sittard/Geleen, Henri Dunantstraat 5, 6419 PC Heerlen, the Netherlands (R.M.K.); and Medical Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands (T.C.K.)
| | - Thomas C Kwee
- From the Department of Radiology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen/Sittard/Geleen, Henri Dunantstraat 5, 6419 PC Heerlen, the Netherlands (R.M.K.); and Medical Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands (T.C.K.)
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Grant EG. Disclosing Financial Relationships at the RSNA Annual Meeting. Radiology 2021; 300:436-437. [PMID: 34100687 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2021211038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edward G Grant
- From the Department of Radiology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, USC Keck Hospital, 1500 San Pablo St, Los Angeles, CA 90033
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Speir EJ, Hills NK, Lokken RP. Accuracy of Disclosed Financial Relationships between Radiologists and Industry at the 2018 RSNA Annual Meeting. Radiology 2021; 300:433-435. [PMID: 34100685 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2021210273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Grant in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan J Speir
- From the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Division of Interventional Radiology (E.J.S., R.P.L.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (N.K.H.), and Department of Neurology (N.K.H.), University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, M-361, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Nancy K Hills
- From the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Division of Interventional Radiology (E.J.S., R.P.L.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (N.K.H.), and Department of Neurology (N.K.H.), University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, M-361, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - R Peter Lokken
- From the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Division of Interventional Radiology (E.J.S., R.P.L.), Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (N.K.H.), and Department of Neurology (N.K.H.), University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave, M-361, San Francisco, CA 94143
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Goel V, Patwardhan AM, Ibrahim M, Yang Y, Sivanesan E, Banik RK, Shannon C, Shankar H. Industry Payments to Pain Medicine Physicians: An Analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Program. PAIN MEDICINE 2021; 22:1376-1386. [PMID: 33765136 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnaa450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze industry payments to pain medicine physicians in the United States. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using publicly available databases. SUBJECTS The study includes U.S. pain medicine physicians (PMPs) with reports in the Open Payments program from 2013 to 2018. METHODS The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments program was analyzed for general, investment, and ownership payments to PMPs reported from 2013 to 2018. The nature, type, and geographic variation of payments were analyzed. RESULTS The main findings of the study are as follows: 1) Payments made to PMPs constituted a small proportion of the payments made to all physicians in the United States, and the number of transactions and the total dollar amount seem to have decreased from 2016 to 2018. 2) The median number of payments among physicians with reported payments was around 4 (interquartile range: 18), and the majority of them were under $20. 3) The majority of payments were for in-kind items and services (85%) and were made for food and beverages (91%), travel and lodging (5.5%). 4) Some of the ownership and investment interest payments exceeded $500,000. 5) The top five drugs associated with physician payments included medications with opioids. 6) A very small minority of payments were made for entertainment or gifts. 7) A third of PMPs with reports had payments reported under more than one taxonomy. CONCLUSIONS Overall payments made to PMPs seem to be decreasing since 2016. The majority of the payments are made for the food, beverage, and travel categories. Public and physician awareness of the Open Payments system reports is essential to promote transparency and to minimize adverse effects of financial relationships on patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudha Goel
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Amol M Patwardhan
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Mohab Ibrahim
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Pain Management, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Eellan Sivanesan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ratan K Banik
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Clarence Shannon
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hariharan Shankar
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clement Zablocki VA Medical Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Tseng AS, Hu TY, Lee JZ, Amin M, Vaidya V, Deshmukh AJ, Madhavan M, Cha Y, Asirvatham SJ, Mulpuru SK. Trends in reported industry payments to physicians practicing cardiac electrophysiology from 2013 to 2018 in the United States. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2020; 31:3106-3114. [DOI: 10.1111/jce.14754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Tseng
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | - Tiffany Y. Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | - Justin Z. Lee
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | - Mustapha Amin
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | - Vaibhav Vaidya
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | | | - Malini Madhavan
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | - Yong‐Mei Cha
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
| | | | - Siva K. Mulpuru
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases Mayo Clinic Rochester Minnesota USA
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Rhee TG, Wilkinson ST. Exploring the Psychiatrist-Industry Financial Relationship: Insight from the Open Payment Data of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH 2020; 47:526-530. [PMID: 31916072 DOI: 10.1007/s10488-020-01009-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) requires reporting of financial payments by pharmaceutical and medical device companies to teaching hospitals and individual physicians in the US. Industry payments made to psychiatrists were quantified. METHODS Using the 2016-2017 Sunshine Act Open Payments database, general payments made to psychiatrists were descriptively analyzed. The number of psychiatrists who received payments, and median number, value (in US dollar), and nature of payments to psychiatrists were quantified. Top 10 manufacturers who paid the most to psychiatrists were also reported. RESULTS Over half of active psychiatrists (55.7%) received some form of payments from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Of these, top 2.8% of psychiatrists received 82.6% of the payments. Pharmaceutical manufacturers provided 812,877 payments worth $110,512,607.18 to 26,422 psychiatrists in the US. Compensation for services (e.g., speaker's bureaus) and consulting fees altogether constituted 71.4% of the total payment, with a median value of $1725.00 and $700, respectively. Among all psychiatrists who received payments, manufacturers that paid the most included Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Alkermes, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. CONCLUSIONS The PPSA was created to foster transparent disclosure of any financial relationship between physicians and industry. Findings highlight that many active psychiatrists receive payments from pharmaceutical industry and payment forms were varied (e.g., food/beverage, educational materials, and compensation for services).
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeho Greg Rhee
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Samuel T Wilkinson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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