Effect of physician gender and specialty on utilization of hysterectomy in New York, 2001-2005.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of physician gender and specialty on the utilization of hysterectomy and alternatives to hysterectomy.


METHODS
The database of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield was abstracted for all claims relating to a hysterectomy procedure or a hysterectomy-associated diagnosis during the 48 consecutive months May 2001-April 2005. Two hundred ninety-five thousand, one hundred forty-eight claim lines were abstracted and analyzed by CPT and diagnostic grouping codes.


RESULTS
One thousand nine hundred seventy-two hysterectomies were performed during the time analyzed, as well as 5077 hysterectomy alternatives. These 7049 procedures represented 2.4% of all coded physician encounters. Male physicians utilize hysterectomy and hysterectomy alternatives at the same rate as female physicians. Physicians who practice gynecology-only or gynecologic oncology utilize laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy more often than their counterparts who practice obstetrics as well as gynecology.


CONCLUSIONS
Gender does not influence the rate of hysterectomy for similar clinical diagnoses. Subspecialty physicians utilize laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomies more frequently than general obstetricians and gynecologists.
Gretz
Herbert
H
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, USA. herb.gretz@mssm.edu
Bradley
William H
WH
Zakashansky
Konstantin
K
Nezhat
Farr
F
Bohren
Deborah Loeb
DL
Kreiger
Kenneth
K
Rubin
Elizabeth
E
Sokolow
Alan
A
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007045:Hysterectomy, Vaginal / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009518:New York; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors