Economic impact of training and career decisions on urological surgery.

PURPOSE: Medical students and residents make career decisions at a relatively young age that have significant implications for their future income. While most of them attempt to estimate the impact of these decisions, there has been little effort to use economic principles to illustrate the impact of certain variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The economic concept of net present value was paired with available Medical Group Management Association and Association of American Medical Colleges income data to calculate the value of career earnings based on variations in the choice of specialty, an academic vs a private practice career path and fellowship choices for urology and other medical fields. RESULTS: Across all specialties academic careers were associated with lower career earnings than private practice. However, among surgical specialties the lowest difference in value between these 2 paths was for urologists at only $334,898. Fellowship analysis showed that training in pediatric urology was costly in forgone attending salary and it also showed a lower future income than nonfellowship trained counterparts. An additional year of residency training (6 vs 5 years) caused a $201,500 decrease in the value of career earnings. CONCLUSIONS: Choice of specialty has a dramatic impact on future earnings, as does the decision to pursue a fellowship or choose private vs academic practice. Additional years of training and forgone wages have a tremendous impact on monetary outcomes. There is also no guarantee that fellowship training will translate into a more financially valuable career. The differential in income between private practice and academics was lowest for urologists.

Implantable Penile Prosthesis for Erectile Dysfunction: Insurance Coverage in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: A manufacturer's benefit verification database was evaluated to ascertain United States health plan insurance coverage for implantable penile prostheses for erectile dysfunction. METHODS: All-payer and employer-sponsored health plan benefit verification databases were queried to determine implantable penile prosthesis approval status. For the all-payer analysis, data by payer were available and presented for 2019-2021 to assess approval status varied by payer and over time. For the employer-sponsored health plan analysis, data by payer were available from 2018-2021. RESULTS: Benefit verification records for the all-payer database were available for 3,167 patients in 2019, 3,016 in 2020, and 2,837 in 2021. Insurance type was preferred provider organization (27.5%), Medicare Advantage (26.9%), Medicare (15.9%), or point-of-service (10.5%). Most patients were approved or verified for implantable penile prosthesis coverage (79.4% in 2019, 79.6% in 2020, and 78.4% in 2021). Coverage was most extensive for government-based insurance (Medicare 98.7%, Medicare Advantage 97.1%, Tricare 100%, and Veterans Affairs 80.0%) but was also favorable for commercial insurance (75.0%). The most common reason for lack of coverage was employer exclusion; the proportion of patients with no coverage due to exclusion increased from 13.5% in 2019 to 17.5% in 2021. Analyses of the employer-sponsored health plan database (n=3,083 patients) showed that 63.1% of patients were approved or verified for coverage and 34.2% did not have coverage due to health plan exclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 80% of patients had implantable penile prosthesis coverage. Employer exclusion was the most common reason for lagging coverage; rates of employer exclusion increased 29.3% from 2019-2021.

Nephrolithiasis in topiramate users.

Topiramate is a neuromodulatory agent increasingly prescribed for a number of neurological and non-neurological indications. Topiramate-treated patients are at risk for nephrolithiasis due to hypocitraturia and high urine pH. However, the prevalence of symptomatic stone disease in TPM users is generally perceived to be low. This study was undertaken to assess in topiramate-treated patients the prevalence of symptomatic nephrolithiasis (by history) and of asymptomatic nephrolithiasis by computed tomography (CT) scan. Topiramate users were identified from a database of patients with neurological disorders at a single university hospital. Among 75 topiramate-treated adult patients with a median daily dose of 300 mg and median treatment duration of 48 months, the prevalence of symptomatic nephrolithiasis was 10.7%. In a subset of topiramate-treated patients and no history of symptomatic stone disease, the prevalence of asymptomatic nephrolithiasis detected by CT scan was 20%. The prevalence of symptomatic nephrolithiasis with long-term topiramate use is higher than reported in short-term studies. Furthermore, clinical prevalence is underestimated due to asymptomatic nephrolithiasis.

Standardized Office Cystoscopy Training for Advanced Practice Providers in Urology.

INTRODUCTION: Cystoscopy is one of the most commonly performed urological procedures. Indications include evaluation of hematuria and bladder cancer monitoring, which requires frequent surveillance for management. The challenges of maintaining the urology workforce are well-documented, and alternative options should be developed for performing cystoscopy safely and effectively. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants (ie advanced practice providers) are established professionals who have provided urological care for decades and who could acquire the necessary procedural skills following establishment of practice guidelines. METHODS: Review and synthesis of the available world literature were completed to form an evidence-based proposal for a flexible cystoscopy training curriculum targeted to advanced practice providers in outpatient urology care settings. RESULTS: Of 49 primary sources 10 were appropriate for evaluation, resulting in development of clinical and technical knowledge domains for training U.S. based advanced practice providers in cystoscopy. Skills checklists were developed to aid in training, evaluation and privileging. CONCLUSIONS: Based on analysis of the existing literature, we propose a framework for standardizing outpatient flexible cystoscopy training for U.S. based advanced practice providers. Adoption of this framework will establish the standards necessary to ensure high quality, reproducible outcomes essential for seamlessly integrating advanced practice providers into this procedural role within the urological health care team.

Synchronous urethral stricture reconstruction via 1-stage ascending approach: rationale and results.

PURPOSE: We present our experience with the reconstruction of synchronous urethral strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 482 anterior urethroplasties performed by a single surgeon between 1997 and 2008 we identified and reviewed 30 patients who underwent reconstruction for multiple separate strictures. An ascending approach from distal to proximal was used and all repairs were completed at 1 stage. A total of 13 combinations of techniques were used to complete the repairs. A 2-phase technique was used in which the patient remained supine during buccal mucosa harvest and repair of strictures distal to the penoscrotal junction, and was then repositioned into the high lithotomy position as needed for stricture repair in the bulbar urethra. In each case normal intervening urethra was preserved intact. The number, length and location of strictures, operative time and patient outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: No position related complications occurred during or after surgery despite a mean operative time of 4.5 hours (range 2.5 to 6.4). No infectious wound complications were reported despite repositioning the legs to the high lithotomy position. Three patients (10%) were known to have required treatment for recurrent stricture after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: One-stage reconstruction for synchronous urethral strictures may be safely and effectively performed using a systematic, ascending reconstructive approach with creative application of tissue transfer techniques. Decreasing patient time in the high lithotomy position appears to prevent related lower extremity complications.

The Expanding Role of Advanced Practice Providers in Urologic Procedural Care.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the role of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in urologic procedural care and its change over time. As the population ages and the urologic workforce struggles to meet patient access demands, the role of APPs in the provision of all aspects of urologic care is increasing. However, little is currently known about their role in procedural care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Commonly performed urologic procedures were linked to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes from 1994 to 2012. National Medicare Part B beneficiary claims frequency was identified using Physician Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files. Trends were studied for APPs, urologists, and all other providers nationally across numerous procedures spanning complexity, acuity, and technical skill set requirements. RESULTS: Between 1994 and 2012, annual Medicare claims for urologic procedures by APPs increased dramatically. Cystoscopy increased from 24 to 1820 (+7483%), transrectal prostate biopsy from 17 to 834 (+4806%), complex Foley catheter placement from 471 to 2929 (+522%), urodynamics testing from 41 to 9358 (+22,727%), and renal ultrasound from 18 to 4500 (+24,900%) CONCLUSION: We found dramatic growth in the provision of urologic procedural care by APPs over the past 2 decades. These data reinforce the known expansion of the APP role in urology and support the timeliness of ongoing collaborative multidisciplinary educational efforts to address unmet needs in education, training, and guideline formation to maximize access to urologic procedural services.

Advanced Practice Providers in U.S. Urology: A National Survey of Demographics and Clinical Roles.

INTRODUCTION: Projections suggest a significant shortage of urologists coupled with an increasing burden of urological disease due to an aging population. To meet this need, urologists have increasingly partnered with advanced practice providers. However, to this point the advanced practice provider workforce has not been comprehensively evaluated. Understanding the impact of advanced practice providers on the urology workforce is essential to maximize collaborative care as we strive for value and quality in evolving delivery models. METHODS: A 29-item, web based survey was administered to advanced practice providers identified by the AUA (American Urological Association), UAPA (Urological Association of Physician Assistants) and SUNA (Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates), querying many aspects of their practice. RESULTS: A total of 296 advanced practice providers completed the survey. Advanced practice nurses comprised 62% of respondents while physician assistants comprised the remaining 38%. More than two-thirds of the respondents were female and median age was 46 years. Only 6% reported having participated in formal postgraduate urological training. Advanced practice providers were evenly divided between institutional and private practice settings, and overwhelmingly in urban or suburban environments. The majority of advanced practice providers practice in the ambulatory setting (74%) and characterize their practice as general urology (72%). Overall 81% reported performing procedures independently, with 63% performing some procedures considered to be of moderate or high complexity. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced practice providers are active in the provision of urological care in many roles, including complex procedures. Given future workforce needs, advanced practice providers will likely assume additional responsibilities. As roles shift we must ensure we have the necessary educational and training opportunities to equip this vital part of our workforce.

Peyronie's disease: review and recent advances.

Peyronie's disease is an incurable, sexually debilitating fibrotic disease of the penis that results in penile curvature, coital failure, and significant psychological stress for patients and their partners. Appropriate treatment should be individualized and tailored to the patient's goals and expectations, disease history, physical exam findings, and erectile function. While medical treatments exist, there is little evidence to support their use. High-quality data supporting more recent advances in injectable therapies, interferon α-2b and collagenase clostridium histolyticum, show great promise for their application. Once the disease has stabilized, surgical correction is also an excellent option for patients with significant Peyronie's disease accompanied by functional impairment. Outcomes are satisfactory when proper treatment decisions are made, with the goal being expected return to normal sexual function following treatment.

Peyronie disease: plication or grafting.

Peyronie disease (PD) is an incurable, sexually debilitating disease resulting in penile deformity, coital failure, and significant psychological stress for patients and their partners. Appropriate treatment should be individualized and tailored to the patient's goals and expectations, disease history, physical examination findings, and erectile function. After medical therapy is considered and the disease has stabilized, surgical correction, including tunical shortening or lengthening procedures, is an excellent option for patients with functional impairment caused by PD. Outcomes are satisfactory when proper treatment decisions are made, with the goal being expected return to normal sexual function following PD treatment.

Are patients with hematuria appropriately referred to Urology? A multi-institutional questionnaire based survey.

INTRODUCTION: Hematuria is a common finding that may be a sign of serious underlying urologic disease. Thus, the AUA guidelines (written in conjunction with the American Academy of Family Practice) recommend urologic evaluation for patients with both microscopic and gross hematuria. We sought to evaluate practice patterns of the evaluation of hematuria by primary care physicians (PCPs) in two locations in the United States. METHODS: Anonymous questionnaires regarding use of urinalysis (UA) and evaluation of hematuria were mailed to 586 PCPs in Miami, Florida and 1,915 in Dallas, Texas. Surveys were mailed to physicians who identified themselves as practitioners of internal medicine, family practice, primary care, or obstetrics and gynecology. RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 788 PCPs including 270 (46%) and 518 (26%) PCPs in Miami and Dallas, respectively. Screening UAs were obtained on all patients by 77% and 64%, of physicians in Miami and Dallas, respectively. In both Miami and Dallas, only 36% of PCPs reported referring patients with microscopic hematuria to an urologist. In patients with gross hematuria, referral rates were 77% and 69% in Miami and Dallas, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: While many PCPs use UA in many of their patients routinely, few PCPs automatically refer their patients with microscopic hematuria to urology and not all patients with gross hematuria are referred. Further investigations regarding why and when patients are referred to urology is warranted. Increasing awareness of the complete and timely evaluation of hematuria may be beneficial in preventing a delay in bladder cancer.