Receipt of Industry Payments and Surgeons’ Adoption of Robotic-Assisted Surgery

Are industry payments associated with an increase in the use of robotic-assisted surgery for common procedures?In this cohort study of 20 313 US surgeons, receipt of an industry payment was associated with a significant increase in the proportional use of robotic-assisted surgery compared with surgeons who never received payment, with a significant dose-dependent response to higher payment amounts.The findings suggest that surgeon-industry financial relationships may be an important contributor to greater use of robotic-assisted surgery in the US.

Corresponding Author: Kyle H. Sheetz, MD, MSc, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr, UH South F6689A, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (ksheetz@med.umich.edu).

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