Trends in Industry Payments to Physicians in the First 6 Years After Graduate Medical Training

IMPORTANCE Financial incentives and conflicts of interest may influence physician decisionmaking. It is important to understand financial interactions between the pharmaceutical and medical device industries and newly independent physicians who have recently completed their graduate medical education using a national transparency program. OBJECTIVE To identify trends in industry payments to recent graduates of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency or fellowship programs in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and internal medicine. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study analyzed Open Payments reports of industry payments made between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2021, to newly independent physicians from residency or fellowship programs in neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and internal medicine who graduated between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. EXPOSURES Specialties (neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery, with internal medicine as a comparison group). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Industry payments to newly independent physicians, including any general payments (noninvestment or nonresearch) and at least $5000 of general payments in aggregate value per year, which are considered significant financial conflicts of interest. The percentage of newly independent physicians accepting general payments during the first 6 years after graduation was analyzed by specialty and sex using cumulative incidence curves and hazard ratios (HRs) in univariable and multivariable analyses. RESULTS There were 45 745 recent graduates (28 137 men [62%]; median age at graduation, 33.0 [IQR, 31.0-35.0 years]) in neurosurgery (n = 595), orthopedic surgery (n = 3481), and internal medicine (n = 41 669). In the first 2 years of independent practice, 95%(n = 3297), 92%(n = 546), and 59%(n = 24 522) of newly independent physicians in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and internal medicine, respectively, accepted any general payments. A higher percentage of the newly independent physicians in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery accepted any general payments (orthopedic surgery vs internal medicine: HR, 5.36 [95% CI, 4.42-6.51] for women and 7.01 [95% CI, 6.35-7.73] for men; neurosurgery vs internal medicine: HR, 3.25 [95% CI, 2.24-4.72] forwomen and 4.08 [95% CI, 3.37-4.94] for men; P =.03). A higher percentage of male physicians compared with female physicians accepted any general payments (orthopedic surgery, 2884 of 3026 [95%] vs 413 of 455 [91%]; P <.001; neurosurgery, 466 of 502 [93%] vs 80 of 93 [86%]; P =.01; and internal medicine, 15 462 of 24 609 [63%] vs 9043 of 17 034 [53%]; P <.001) and at least $5000 of general payments (orthopedic surgery, 763 of 3026 [25%] vs 71 of 455 [16%]; P <.001; neurosurgery, 87 of 502 [17%] vs 5 of 93 [5%%]; P <.001; and internal medicine, 882 of 24 609 [4%] vs 210 of 17 034 [1%]; P <.001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study of newly independent physicians in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and internal medicine, the financial relationship with potential conflicts of interest between newly independent physicians and industry began to develop soon after training programs and continued to expand in the early years of newly independent physician practice. Newly independent physicians in surgical specialties and male physicians accepted significantly higher industry payments. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether modifiable factors are associated with the future outcome of newly independent physicians accepting general payments.

Automated summary

Financial incentives and conflicts of interest may influence physician decisionmaking. This retrospective cohort study analyzed industry payments made to newly independent physicians in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and internal medicine. The study found that surgical specialties and male physicians accepted significantly higher industry payments, indicating a potential conflict of interest. Further research is needed to identify modifiable factors associated with physicians accepting general payments.