Where are advanced interventional pain procedures happening?

Area of Science:

• Pain Medicine
• Interventional Pain Procedures
• Medical Device Sales

Background:

• A surge in advanced interventional pain procedures presents a market challenge.
• Concerns exist regarding the alignment between pain medicine fellowship training and current post-graduate practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare advanced interventional pain procedure device sales in academic versus non-academic settings.
• To establish a baseline understanding of current procedural practice patterns.
• To inform future educational strategies in pain medicine.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study analyzed industry-reported device sales data.
• Data encompassed academic and non-academic practices across US regions from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
• Sales data from six companies for nine distinct procedures were tabulated.

Main Results:

• Non-academic institutions showed higher relative mean device sales for advanced pain procedures compared to academic institutions.
• Regional variations were observed, with the West having the lowest academic sales (10%) and the Northeast the highest (22%).
• Dorsal root ganglion stimulation had the lowest academic sales (4%), while vertebral body cooled radiofrequency for bone tumors had the highest (30%).

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in the adoption of advanced pain procedures between non-academic and academic settings, with non-academic sites leading.
• Despite the disparity, academic institutions reported device sales for most procedures across various regions.
• Continuous monitoring of academic training versus practice is crucial for refining future pain medicine educational curricula.