1303 Gender Disparities in Industry Payments to Neurosurgeons: A Comprehensive Analysis of CMS Open Payments Data (2016-2022)

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to investigate the extent of gender disparities in financial interactions between neurosurgeons and the medical device industry, examining the differences in the number, amount, and type of payments made to male and female neurosurgeons. METHODS: Using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments Database (2016-2022), we analyzed 24,074 transactions to determine payment disparities through univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: An analysis of 24,074 industry transactions totaling $388,916,415.88 underscored pronounced gender disparities, with female neurosurgeons involved in merely 2.41% of these transactions and receiving just 0.91% of the overall financial value. The data revealed significant discrepancies in compensation between genders across all contributing companies. Male neurosurgeons engaged in a higher average number of annual transactions (4.60) compared to their female counterparts (2.75, P<0.001), across various financial interactions. This included a greater participation in royalties & licenses (1.49 vs. 0.31,P<0.001), consulting fees (2.16 vs. 1.63,P=0.024), and acquisitions (0.01 vs. 0.00,P=0.006).On average, female neurosurgeons were compensated $16,303.66, starkly lower than the $75,523.20 average received by their male counterparts (P<0.005). This gap was especially significant in royalties & licenses, where females earned an average of $5,168.57 compared to $61,898.47 for males (P=0.004). Additionally, in acquisitions, female neurosurgeons received no payments at all, whereas males averaged $2,153.43 (P=0.042). Several of these disparities remained significant even after accounting for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals significant gender disparities in the financial interactions between neurosurgeons and the medical device industry, with pronounced differences in payment frequency and amounts between male and female neurosurgeons. These findings suggest the need for further investigation into the factors driving these inequities to better understand and address the root causes of these disparities.