The Influence of Practice Structure on Urologists’ Treatment of Men With Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

Background: Vertical and horizontal integration among health care providers has transformed the practice arrangements under which many physicians work. Objective: To examine the influence of type of practice structure, and by implication the financial incentives associated with each structure, on treatment received among men newly diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer. Research Design: We compiled a unique database from cancer registry records from 4 large states, Medicare enrollment and claims for the years 2005−2014 and SK & A physician surveys corroborated by extensive internet searches. We estimated a multinomial logit model to examine the influence of urologist practice structure on type of initial treatment received. Results: The probability of being monitored with active surveillance was 7.4% and 4.2% points higher for men treated by health system and nonhealth system employed urologists (P
Source: Medical Care - Category: Health Management Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research