2003 American Urological Association Gallup survey: physician practice patterns, cryosurgery/brachytherapy, male infertility, female urology and insurance/professional liability.

Purpose: The Health Policy Survey and Research Committee of the American Urological Association and the Gallup Organization have performed 10 surveys of American urologists since 1992 for the purpose of assessing demographics and practice patterns. The results of the 2003 survey are presented.

Materials And Methods: A random sample of 510 urologists who have completed urological residencies was interviewed by telephone in February 2003. Major content areas were physician practice patterns, cryosurgery/brachytherapy, male infertility, female urology and insurance/ professional liability.

Results: Urologists are older, staying in practice longer and planning to retire later than ever before. Urologists are also seeing more patients in the office every year. Most urologists treat male infertility and female voiding dysfunction.

Conclusions: American urologists are older, working harder and planning on continuing to do so for longer than in any year sampled in the last decade.