Financial Relationships between Industry and 2023 AUA Annual Meeting Speakers

This study aimed to analyze the industry relationships and industry payments for the American Urological Association (AUA) 2023 annual meeting plenary speakers. We focused on the financial contributions of these opinion leaders to urology.

We used the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments Database, cross-referencing it with the 2023 AUA plenary speakers list, covering payments from 2015-2022, focusing on 2022. The analysis included categorization by provider training, geographic section, subspecialty, H-index, and guideline panel involvement, using median, interquartile range, frequency, and proportion for statistical analysis.

An analysis of 171 U.S.-based AUA 2023 plenary speakers identified medical oncology as the highest-compensated subspecialty in 2022. Notably, 24% received over $100,000 between 2015-2022, and 7% exceeded $50,000 in 2022. Among AUA or National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline panel members, 48% received over $50,000 over seven years, and 34% received over $10,000 in 2022.

The study revealed substantial financial relationships between the industry and AUA 2023 plenary speakers, especially those on guideline panels, with most payments in the form of consulting fees. The findings highlighted the importance of transparency and ethical considerations in urology, given the potential influence of these financial ties on medical decision-making and guideline development.