Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Assess the relationships between case total work relative value units (wRVU), patient frailty, and the physiologic stress of surgical interventions. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Surgeon reimbursement is frequently apportioned by wRVU. These subjective, procedure-specific valuations generated by physician survey estimate the intensity and time for typical patient care services. We hypothesized wRVU would not adequately account for patient-specific factors, such as frailty, that modify the required physician work, regardless of procedural complexity. METHODS: Using National and Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Programs (2015-2018), we evaluated the correlation between case total wRVU, patient frailty (risk analysis index) and physiologic surgical stress (operative stress score). RESULTS: Of 4,111,371 (86%) cases, the correlation between total wRVU and operative stress was moderate [ρs = 0.587 (95% confidence interval, 0.586-0.587)], but negligible with frailty ρ = 0.177 (95% confidence interval, 0.176-0.178)]. Very high operative stress procedures [n = 34,047 (1%)] generated a mean total wRVU of 55.1 (standard deviation, 12.9), comprising 7%, 2%, and 1% of thoracic, vascular, and general surgical cases, respectively. Very frail patients [n = 152,535 (4%)] accounted for 9% of thoracic, 9% of vascular, 4% of general, 5% of urologic, and 4% of neurologic surgical cases, generating 21.0 (standard deviation, 12.4) mean total wRVU. Some nonfrail patients undergoing low operative stress procedures [n = 60,128 (2%)] nonetheless generated the highest quintile wRVU; these comprised >15% of plastic, gynecologic, and urologic surgical cases. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon reimbursement correlates with operative stress but not patient frailty. The total wRVU does not adequately reflect patient-specific factors that increase the physician workload required to render optimal care to complex patients.