WASHINGTON, DC USA (Press Release) - August 5, 2014 - LUGPA today applauded researchers at the University of Michigan for their recent study on ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and their effect on both utilization and the quality of outpatient urologic surgery. The researchers’ findings indicate that physician ownership does not lead to increased utilization, and that independent urological care offers a high-quality, cost-effective alternative to the more expensive hospital setting.
The University of Michigan study concluded that when an ASC is introduced into a healthcare market, fewer patients undergo urologic surgery in the more expensive hospital setting – a redistribution that was not associated with declines in quality or with greater growth in overall outpatient surgery use, indicating that physician ownership does not translate to increased utilization of services. The findings regarding utilization of services in ASCs mirror those for radiation oncology and anatomic pathology performed within integrated urology groups: although care is shifted to the more convenient, less expensive physician office setting, overall utilization of services remain unchanged.
“This study again demonstrates what we know to be true: independent urological care has transformed the outpatient experience for Americans stricken with genitourinary disease by providing them with a more convenient, high-quality alternative to more costly, hospital-based outpatient procedures,” said Dr. Deepak Kapoor, LUGPA’s chairman of health policy. “And the value of the independent care model extends far beyond urology. When there’s increased competition in the healthcare market, and patients are empowered to choose where they receive their care, quality is pushed up while costs are pushed down.”
LUGPA represents urology group practices in the United States, with more than 2,200 physicians who make up more than 25 percent of the nation’s practicing urologists. LUGPA and its member practices are committed to best practices, research, data collection and benchmarking to promote quality clinical outcomes. For more information, visit lugpa.org.
Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA)
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