Trends in Industry-Sponsored Research Payments to Otolaryngologist Principal Investigators

Research payments constitute the largest payment category in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments program (OPP). We sought to characterize the distributions of and trends in industry-sponsored research payments (ISRPs) to otolaryngologists.

OPP data was used to identify ISRPs to otolaryngologists between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2023. ISRPs were stratified by recipient entity as covered teaching hospitals, covered physicians, and non-covered entities (NCEs) and evaluated using descriptive analysis and multivariable linear regression.

ISRPs increased 132% from $15.6 million in 2015 to $36.2 million in 2023 (p < 0.001). Payments to NCEs with an otolaryngologist principal investigator (PI) constituted most payments (80%). Male otolaryngologist PIs decreased by -0.2%, while female otolaryngologist PIs increased by 86% (p < 0.01). Annual median payment values per otolaryngologist PI within NCEs increased 111% from $15,239 in 2015 to $32,097 in 2023 (p < 0.001). Among male otolaryngologist PIs within NCEs, total ISRPs increased 109% from $12.9 million in 2015 to $27.0 million in 2023, and median payment value per PI increased 93% from $17,144 in 2015 to $33,155 in 2023 (p < 0.01). Among female otolaryngologist PIs within NCEs, total ISRPs increased 125% from $0.5 million in 2015 to $1.1 million in 2023, but median payment value per PI only increased 14% from $11,973 in 2015 to $13,614 in 2023 (p = 0.1).

ISRPs to otolaryngologists more than doubled from 2015 to 2023, with most payments directed to PIs within NCEs. Median payments to female otolaryngology PIs did not increase, despite an increase in female otolaryngologist PIs.

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