INTRODUCTION: Urologists face challenges in obtaining public research funding, leading to increasing reliance on the industry for research support. This study aimed to examine the extent and trends in industry-sponsored research payments to urologists from 2014 to 2022 in the United States. METHODS: We identified all US urologists using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Plan and Provider Enumeration System database and extracted their industry-sponsored research payments data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database. We performed descriptive analyses of the payments data. RESULTS: Among 13,902 US urologists, 1330 (9.6%) received at least 1 industry-sponsored research payment. Urologists received 05.1 million between 2014 and 2022. Of all research payments, 98.7% (97.4 million) were associated research payments for research where urologists served as principal investigators. The top 10% of urologists in research payments received 79.3% (80.0 million) of total research payments. Only 0.4% (.3 million) of research payments were for preclinical research, whereas registered clinical trials totaled 59.0 million (26.3% of all research payments). The annual value of research payments increased from 5.2 million in 2014 to 01.7 million in 2022. The average percentage change in total payments showed a significant annual increase of 13.9% (95% CI, 11.6%-16.3%
CONCLUSIONS: Industry-sponsored research payments to urologists are substantial and have increased in both payment amount and number over time.