Academic Influence as Reflected by H-index is Not Associated with Total Industry Payments but Rather with NIH Funding Among Academic Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeons

2080 Background: Financial conflict of interest (COI) represents a complex issue in hematology and oncology. Little is known about when COIs develop during a career and if these correlate with early career success. We evaluated self-reported COIs for junior faculty members at 10 academic cancer centers and examined if these financial relationships with industry correlated with measures of academic career success. Methods: The study evaluated 229 assistant professors from the top 10 cancer centers based on the 2018 US News Cancer rankings. Faculty characteristics were determined from hospital websites including the number of years since completing fellowship. Data regarding National Institute of Health (NIH) funding were obtained. Industry funds (Sunshine Act funds; SAF) were identified from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments database from 2013-2017. Self-reported COIs were obtained from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) or American Society of Hematology (ASH) disclosures databases, and through review of disclosures from recent publications. Measures of academic success included h-index and number of publications. We assessed the influence of number of COIs and SAF received on measures of academic success. Results: Of the 229 included faculty, 45% were female, 39% graduated fellowship in 2015 or later, 35% were double-boarded, 40% had dual degrees and 15% received NIH funding. Approximately 46% of faculty had at least 1 COI. COIs (ASCO/ASH) were positively correlated with COIs self-reported in publications and total SAF (Spearman correlations 0.57 and 0.54, both P < 0.01). The development of COIs and the number of SAF increased with years in practice (Spearman correlations 0.37 and 0.28, both P < 0.01). COIs and SAF correlated with h-index (Spearman correlation 0.40 and 0.41, both P < 0.01). After adjusting for years since fellowship, linear regression demonstrated that log-transformed h-index and number of publications were associated with SAF (P < 0.01) and COIs (ASCO/ASH) (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Financial COIs were present in nearly half of the faculty and increased with more time since completing fellowship. Measures of academic success were positively correlated with COIs (ASCO/ASH) and SAF. These data suggest that cultivating industry relationships may aid faculty in establishing early academic success.

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Sex Disparities in Productivity among Oculoplastic Surgeons

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1740312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (02) ◽

pp. e210-e215

Author(s):

Mckenzee Chiam ◽

Mona L. Camacci ◽

Alicia Khan ◽

Erik B. Lehman ◽

Seth M. Pantanelli

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Assistant Professor ◽

Full Professor ◽

Academic Rank ◽

H Index ◽

Scholarly Output ◽

Career Length ◽

Funding Information ◽

American Society ◽

Nih Funding

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study is to investigate sex differences in academic rank, publication productivity, and National Institute of Health (NIH) funding among oculoplastic surgeons and whether there is an association between American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) membership and scholarly output. Methods Sex, residency graduation year, and academic rank were obtained from institutional websites of 113 U.S. ophthalmology programs. H-indices and m-quotients were obtained from the Scopus database. NIH funding information was obtained from the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool. Results Of the 272 surgeons, 74 (30.2%) were females. When adjusted for career duration, differences in female to male proportions were only significant at the rank of assistant professor (assistant: 74.3 vs. 48.5%, p = 0.047; associate: 18.9 vs. 24.6%, p = 0.243; full professor: 13.0 vs. 37.2%, p = 0.114). Women had a shorter career duration than men [10.0 (interquartile range or IQR 12.0) vs. 21.0 (IQR 20.0) years; p < 0.001] and a lower h-index [4.0 (IQR 5.0) vs. 7.0 (IQR 10.0); p < 0.001], but similar m-quotients [0.4 (IQR 0.4) vs. 0.4 (IQR 0.4); p = 0.9890]. Among ASOPRS members, females had a lower h-index than males [5.0 (IQR 6.0) vs. 9.0 (IQR 10.0); p < 0.001] due to career length differences. No difference in productivity between sexes was found among non-ASOPRS members. ASOPRS members from both sexes had higher scholarly output than their non-ASOPRS counterparts. Just 2.7% (2/74) of females compared with 5.3% (9/171) of males received NIH funding (p = 0.681). Conclusion Sex differences in academic ranks and h-indices are likely due to the smaller proportion of females with long career durations. ASOPRS membership may confer opportunities for increased scholarly output.

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3510 Academic influence in gynecologic oncology is associated with industry funding: an analysis of the Open Payments database

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science ◽

10.1017/cts.2019.77 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (s1) ◽

pp. 32-32

Author(s):

David Samuel ◽

Shelby Adler ◽

Nicole Vilardo ◽

Gregory Gressel

Keyword(s):

Goodness Of Fit ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Gynecologic Oncology ◽

Academic Rank ◽

Online Database ◽

Industry Funding ◽

H Index ◽

Fit Testing ◽

Academic Influence ◽

Open Payments

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Industry payments to physicians can present a conflict of interest. The Physician Payments Sunshine Act mandates the disclosure of these financial relationships to increase transparency. Recent studies in other surgical specialties have shown that research productivity is associated with greater industry funding. In this study, we characterize the relationship between academic influence and industry funding among academic gynecologic oncologists. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Departmental websites were used to identify academic gynecologist oncologists and their demographic information. The Hirsch index (h-index) relates an author’s number of publications to number of times referenced by other publications, a validated measure of an author’s academic influence. This was obtained from the Scopus database. The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services Open Payments online database was searched for all industry payments in 2017. The NIH Reporter online database was searched for active grants. Goodness of fit testing showed that all variables followed nonparametric distributions. Medians were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance with post-hoc Dunn’s test. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-six academic gynecologic oncologists were included in the analysis. In 2017, 89.7% of this group received industry funding totaling $41.4 million. Median industry funding was $453 [IQR $67-19684] and median h-index was 14 [IQR 8-26]. Only 8.1% of gynecologic oncologists were NIH grant recipients and they received significantly higher industry payments ($357 vs. 11,168, P<0.01). Gender and academic rank were not associated with industry funding. Gynecologic oncologists in the highest decile of industry funding received a median payment of $447,651[N=46, IQR $285,770 – 896,310] totaling $36.5 million. The median h-index for this top-earning decile was 23 [N=46, IQR 16.5-30.3]. When stratified by payment amount, median h index increased but only reached statistical significance in the highest cohort receiving >$100,000 (N = 63, P<0.05). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The majority of academic gynecologic oncologists receive industry funding although there are large variations in payments. Those receiving the largest payments are more likely to hold NIH grants and have greater academic influence.

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Academic Productivity in Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeons: Identifying Benchmarks Associated With Rank in North America

The American Surgeon ◽

10.1177/0003134820966282 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 000313482096628

Author(s):

Kelly J. Lafaro ◽

Amit S. Khithani ◽

Paul Wong ◽

Christopher J. LaRocca ◽

Susanne G. Warner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Univariate Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Academic Rank ◽

Academic Productivity ◽

H Index ◽

History Of ◽

Fellowship Council ◽

Number Of Publications ◽

Promotion Process ◽

Nih Funding

Background Academic achievement is an integral part of the promotion process; however, there are no standardized metrics for faculty or leadership to reference in assessing this potential for promotion. The aim of this study was to identify metrics that correlate with academic rank in hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) surgeons. Materials and Methods Faculty was identified from 17 fellowship council accredited HPB surgery fellowships in the United States and Canada. The number of publications, citations, h-index values, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for each faculty member was captured. Results Of 111 surgeons identified, there were 31 (27%) assistant, 39 (35%) associate, and 41 (36%) full professors. On univariate analysis, years in practice, h-index, and a history of NIH funding were significantly associated with a surgeon’s academic rank ( P < .05). Years in practice and h-index remained significant on multivariate analysis ( P < .001). Discussion Academic productivity metrics including h-index and NIH funding are associated with promotion to the next academic rank.

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United States Medical Licensing Exam Step I Score as a Predictor of Neurosurgical Career Beyond Residency

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1093/neuros/nyy313 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 84 (5) ◽

pp. 1028-1034 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Aaron Gelinne ◽

Scott Zuckerman ◽

Deborah Benzil ◽

Sean Grady ◽

Peter Callas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Academic Rank ◽

Community Practice ◽

Career Trajectory ◽

H Index ◽

Online Databases ◽

Medical Licensing ◽

Usmle Step ◽

Neurological Surgery ◽

Nih Funding

AbstractBACKGROUNDUnited States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step I score is cited as one of the most important factors when for applying to neurosurgery residencies. No studies have documented a correlation between USMLE Step I score and metrics of neurosurgical career trajectory beyond residency.OBJECTIVETo determine whether USMLE Step I exam scores are predictive of neurosurgical career beyond residency, as defined by American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS) certification status, practice type, academic rank, and research productivity.METHODSA database of neurosurgery residency applicants who matched into neurosurgery from 1997 to 2007 was utilized that included USMLE Step I score. Online databases were used to determine h-index, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding, academic rank, practice type, and ABNS certification status of each applicant. Linear regression and nonparametric testing determined associations between USMLE Step I scores and these variables.RESULTSUSMLE Step I scores were higher for neurosurgeons in academic positions (237) when compared to community practice (234) and non-neurosurgeons (233, P < .01). USMLE Step I score was not different between neurosurgeons of different academic rank (P = .21) or ABNS certification status (P = .78). USMLE Step I score was not correlated with h-index for academic neurosurgeons (R2 = 0.002, P = .36).CONCLUSIONUSMLE Step I score has little utility in predicting the future careers of neurosurgery resident applicants. A career in academic neurosurgery is associated with a slightly higher USMLE Step I score. However, USMLE Step I score does not predict academic rank or productivity (h-index or NIH funding) nor does USMLE Step I score predict ABNS certification status.

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Characteristics of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Directors

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120985257 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 232596712098525

Author(s):

John W. Belk ◽

Connor P. Littlefield ◽

Mary K. Mulcahey ◽

Torrance A. McCarty ◽

Theodore F. Schlegel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sports Medicine ◽

The United States ◽

Educational Background ◽

H Index ◽

Orthopaedic Literature ◽

Special Surgery ◽

Fellowship Programs ◽

The Mean ◽

Mean Time ◽

Hospital For Special Surgery

Background: No study in the orthopaedic literature has analyzed the demographic characteristics or surgical training of sports medicine fellowship directors (FDs). Objective determinations as to what makes a physician qualified for this leadership position remain unclear; thus, it is important to identify these qualities as future physicians look to fill these roles. Purpose: To illustrate characteristics common among sports medicine FDs. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The 2020 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Fellowship Directory was used to identify the FDs for all orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs in the United States. The characteristics and educational background data for FDs were gathered by 2 independent reviewers from up-to-date curricula vitarum, Web of Science, and institutional biographies and consolidated into 1 database. Data points gathered included age, sex, residency/fellowship training location and graduation year, name of current institution, length of time at current institution, time since training completion until being appointed FD, length of time in current FD role, and personal research H-index. Results: We identified 90 current orthopaedic sports medicine FDs. The mean Scopus H-index was 24.1 (median, 17). The mean age of FDs was 55.4 years; 87 of 90 (96.7%) were male and 3 (3.3%) were female; and 79/90 (87.8%) were White and 3/90 (3.3%) were African-American. The mean time to complete residency was 5.1 years (range, 5.0-6.0 years), and the most attended residency programs were the Hospital for Special Surgery (n = 9), the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program (n = 5), and Duke University Medical Center (n = 4). The mean time required to complete a fellowship was 1.1 years (range, 1.0-2.0 years), and the fellowship programs that produced the most future FDs were the American Sports Medicine Institute (n = 11), the Steadman Hawkins Clinic (Vail) (n = 8), the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (n = 7), and the Hospital for Special Surgery (n = 7). The mean time from completion of fellowship to appointment as a FD was 12.8 years (range, 1-39 years). Conclusion: Women and minority groups are largely underrepresented among leadership positions in the field of orthopaedic sports medicine.

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Is the h-index Predictive of Greater NIH Funding Success Among Academic Radiologists?

Academic Radiology ◽

10.1016/j.acra.2011.06.017 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 1337-1340 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Issa Rezek ◽

Robert J. McDonald ◽

David F. Kallmes

Keyword(s):

H Index ◽

Funding Success ◽

Nih Funding

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The h-Index of Editorial Board Members Correlates Positively With the Impact Factor of Sports Medicine Journals

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967117694024 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 232596711769402 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jeffrey Kay ◽

Muzammil Memon ◽

Darren de SA ◽

Nicole Simunovic ◽

Andrew Duong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Impact Factor ◽

Sports Medicine ◽

Regression Models ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Scientific Publication ◽

Board Members ◽

Faculty Position ◽

H Index ◽

The Impact

Background: The h-index is a metric widely used to present both the productivity and impact of an author’s previous publications. Purpose: To evaluate and observe any correlations among the h-indices of 2015 editorial board members from 8 top sports medicine journals. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: The sex, country of residence, degree, and faculty position of the editorial board members were identified using their respective scientific publication profiles. The h-index and other bibliometric indicators of these editorial board members were obtained using both the Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar (GS) databases. Nonparametric statistics were used to analyze differences in h-index values, and regression models were used to assess the ability of the editorial board member’s h-index to predict their journal’s impact factor (IF). Results: A total of 422 editorial board members were evaluated. The median h-index of all editors was 20 (interquartile range [IQR], 19) using GS and 15 (IQR, 15) using WoS. GS h-index values were 1.19 times higher than WoS, with significant correlation between these values ( r2 = 0.88, P = .0001). Editorial board members with a PhD had significantly higher h-indices than those without (GS, P = .0007; WoS, P = .0002), and full professors had higher h-indices than associate and assistant professors (GS, P = .0001; WoS, P = .0001). Overall, there were significant differences in the distribution of the GS ( P < .0001) and WoS ( P < .0001) h-indices of the editorial board members by 2014 IF of the journals. Both the GS h-index (β coefficient, 0.01228; 95% CI, 0.01035-0.01423; P < .0001) as well as the WoS h-index (β coefficient, 0.01507; 95% CI, 0.01265-0.01749; P < .0001) of editorial board members were significant predictors of the 2014 IF of their journal. Conclusion: The h-indices of editorial board members of top sports medicine journals are significant predictors of the IF of their respective journals.

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Scholarly Productivity and National Institutes of Health Funding of Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Grant Recipients

Anesthesiology ◽

10.1097/aln.0000000000000737 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 123 (3) ◽

pp. 683-691 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Paul S. Pagel ◽

Judith A. Hudetz

Keyword(s):

Citation Rate ◽

Publication Rate ◽

Faculty Members ◽

National Institutes Of Health ◽

Academic Rank ◽

Full Time ◽

H Index ◽

Scholarly Output ◽

Nih Funding ◽

Anesthesia Education

Abstract Background: The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) grant program provides fellows and junior faculty members with grant support to stimulate their careers. The authors conducted a bibliometric analysis of recipients of FAER grants since 1987. Methods: Recipients were identified in the FAER alumni database. Each recipient’s affiliation was identified using an Internet search (keyword “anesthesiology”). The duration of activity, publications, publication rate, citations, citation rate, h-index, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for each recipient were obtained using the Scopus® (Elsevier, USA) and NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools® (National Institutes of Health, USA) databases. Results: Three hundred ninety-seven individuals who received 430 FAER grants were analyzed, 79.1% of whom currently hold full-time academic appointments. Recipients published 19,647 papers with 548,563 citations and received 391 NIH grants totaling $448.44 million. Publications, citations, h-index, the number of NIH grants, and amount of support were dependent on academic rank and years of activity (P < 0.0001). Recipients who acquired NIH grants (40.3%) had greater scholarly output than those who did not. Recipients with more publications were also more likely to secure NIH grants. Women had fewer publications and lower h-index than men, but there were no gender-based differences in NIH funding. Scholarly output was similar in recipients with MD and PhD degrees versus those with MD degrees alone, but recipients with MD and PhD degrees were more likely to receive NIH funding than those with MDs alone. Conclusion: Most FAER alumni remain in academic anesthesiology and have established a consistent record of scholarly output that appears to exceed reported productivity for average faculty members identified in previous studies.

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