Table 1. Industry Payments to Interventional Cardiologists in 2017.
| Payment Characteristics | CC Laboratory Directors for Top-100 Hospitalsa (n = 99) | ICs Practicing in Same Zip Code as Top-100 Hospitalsa (n = 937) | All Other US ICs (n = 9114) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total value, $ | 1 416 232 | 9 442 540 | 49 875 572 |
| Median (IQR) per physician, $ | 3203 (388-14 156) | 1064 (206-4104) | 883 (285-2307) |
| Mean (SD) per physician, $ | 14 305 (28 637) | 10 077 (32 714) | 5472 (23 896) |
| Maximum value, $ | 170 418 | 456 684 | 1 126 195 |
| Proportion of ICs receiving payments of≥$10 000, % | 31 | 18 | 9 |
| Type of payments, proportion of total value, % | |||
| Compensation for servicesb | 24 | 28 | 42 |
| Consulting fees | 35 | 39 | 17 |
| Food and beverage | 11 | 11 | 19 |
| Travel and lodging | 19 | 14 | 13 |
| Grant | <1 | 1 | <1 |
| Speaking at a CME event | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Honoraria | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Education | 0 | <1 | <1 |
| Ownership or investment interest | 0 | 0 | <1 |
| Charitable contribution | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Entertainment | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Royalty | 0 | <1 | 3 |
| Gift | <1 | 0 | <1 |
Abbreviations: CC, coronary catheterization; CME, continuing medical education; IC, interventional cardiologist; IQR, interquartile range.
a
Based on the US News & World Report rankings.3
b
Payments made to physicians for speaking, training, and education engagements that are not for CME, such as discussing drugs or devices with other physicians at a restaurant.