Urologist practice styles in the initial evaluation of elderly men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To investigate the degree to which expenditures on symptom evaluations vary among urologists and the factors associated with such variation. As the medical and surgical specialists for men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), urologists provide testing to evaluate symptoms and determine therapy.

Methods

We developed a cohort of men with an initial urologist visit for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) from a 5% sample of Medicare patients (1999-2007) and established a physician level factor, practice style, as a function of average per patient expenditures. We then determined which AUA BPH guideline elements explained variation in quantity and expenditures for BPH testing, and also examined the impact of patient and physician factors on practice style.

Res

SUBMITTER: Strope SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3074578 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature