Is Time Spent on Prior Authorizations Associated With Approval?

Advanced practice providers increasingly assume responsibility for prior authorizations (PAs). We hypothesized that the time burden of PAs will be correlated with increased approval. We collected several variables (ie, type, method, time spent, use of peer to peer, and outcome) for all PAs completed by a departmental nurse practitioner in 1 region. Chi-square tests and 2 sample t tests were used to assess significance. There was no significant association between the method of request, the number of attempts, and the time spent to approved PA. Further research is needed to determine ways to decrease the time and opportunity cost associated with PAs.

Stem-Cell, Shockwave, and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction and Peyronie's Disease: A Survey of Clinics Across the USA.

OBJECTIVE: To identify clinics offering off-label therapies for erectile dysfunction (ED) and Peyronie's disease (Pyd) including stem cell, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and shockwave therapy and to determine the transparency they provided to patients inquiring about these treatment modalities. METHODS: Clinics were identified in different regions in the US using a systematic search on online website directories and were approached by asking a series of standardized questions regarding the cost of treatment, duration of therapy, the medical staff involved, and patient outcome data. A total of 26 clinics were surveyed for stem cell therapy, 26 for PRP treatment, and 27 for shockwave therapy. RESULTS: Of the 79 clinics contacted, 93.7% provided some answers to the questions we asked, with a majority offering treatments for both ED and Pyd. The cost of treatment varied widely between clinics. The average cost per stem cell therapy injection was $5291, PRP per injection was $1336, and shockwave therapy per session was $413. A physician was involved in 67% of treatments, and only 6 of 79 clinics reported that a urologist was involved. Over 75% of the clinics reported patient satisfaction following treatment. Durability of benefits to patients ranged from months to years according to the clinics' reports. CONCLUSION: Our data not only demonstrate the widespread use of off-label therapies for ED and PyD across the United States but also the lack of scientific data to support the claims made to patients. This study highlights the need for more oversight and standardization in novel regenerative therapies for ED and PyD.

The incidence of surgical intervention in veterans treated with Collagenase clostridium histolyticum.

Peyronie's disease (PD) can be managed with surgery or intralesional injections of Collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) however both are associated with side effects and variable results. It is unclear how many patients elect to undergo additional surgical correction after CCH. To answer this, we analyzed the Department of Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) software. We performed a retrospective analysis over a 5-year period for patients with PD, at least one injection of CCH and surgical CPT codes. In total, 17,646 patients with PD were analyzed with 1541 treated with CCH. Only 51 (3.3%) were treated with secondary surgical intervention after CCH. Three main surgical procedures were performed: penile plication (51%), penile prosthesis (29%) and plaque excision and grafting (20%). Of the 51 men who underwent surgical corrections post CCH, the most common reason was lack of response/residual curvature (62.8%), followed by ED (29.4%). Previous literature shows that CCH was effective for only 60.8% of patients, potentially leaving the remaining in need of additional treatment. Despite this we found that only 3.3% received secondary therapy in the VA medical system, with residual curvature being the most common reason.