Impact on physician workload and revenue following the creation of a specialty vein clinic within an academic vascular practice

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of creating a new specialty vein clinic within an academic-based vascular practice on clinical volume, physician workload and financial parameters.

Methods: All patients evaluated and treated for varicose vein related problems within an academic vascular surgery practice were identified from institutional billing databases. Data were stratified according to the time period prior to establishing a vein clinic (PRE-VC) (1999–2001) and after creation of a vein clinic (POST-VC) (2002–2004). Clinical volume, physician workload and financial parameters were evaluated. Comparisons were made between vein (VEIN) and overall vascular (VASC) practice trends.

Results: Comparison of clinical volume, physician workload and financial parameters in both the clinic and operative settings showed larger and more rapid expansion of the VEIN practice than VASC practice between PRE-VC and POST-VC time periods (VEIN vs. VASC growth, respectively: new patient clinic volume +162 vs. +18%; clinic relative value units (RVUs) +131 vs. +1%, clinic revenue +201 vs. +44%; procedure volume +348 vs. +19%; procedure RVUs +129 vs. +11%; procedure revenue +93 vs. +10%). Comparing the beginning of PRE-VC to the end of POST-VC time periods, an increasing trend was also present for the percentage of VEIN practice accounting for the total VASC practice (%VEIN PRE-VC to POST-VC, respectively: new patient clinic volume 11.6–30.2%; clinic RVUs 3.2–48.2%; clinic revenue 17.6–31.2%; procedure volume 3.1–14.3%; procedure RVUs 2.8–9.8%; procedure revenue 3.3–11.7%).

Conclusion: Establishing a specialty vein clinic within an academic vascular practice can lead to a rapid expansion of clinical volume with associated increase in physician workload and reimbursement at a rate greater than that for the overall vascular practice.