Patterns of adoption of robotic radical prostatectomy in the United States and England

Abstract

Objectives: To compare patterns of technological adoption of minimally invasive surgery for radical prostatectomy across the United States and England. Data sources: We examine radical prostatectomy in the United States and England between 2005 and 2017, using de-identified administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse in the United States and the Hospital Episodes Statistics in England. Study design: We conducted a longitudinal analysis of robotic, laparoscopic, and open surgery for radical prostatectomy. We compared the trends of adoption over time within and across countries. Next, we explored whether differential adoption patterns in the two health systems are associated with differences in volumes and patient characteristics. Finally, we explored the relationship between these adoption patterns and length of stay, 30-day readmission, and urology follow-up visits.