INTERNATIONAL VARIATION IN INTERVENTION RATES - WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT SELECTION

While international variations in intervention rates are well recogniz ed, little is known about their implications for patient selection. Th is paper describes an exploratory study in which the probability of un dergoing an elective intervention (surgery for benign prostatic hyperp lasia) in an area in the United Kingdom was compared with an area in t he United States. It found that the area with high intervention rates was associated with higher levels of surgery in men with low levels of need who are unlikely to gain much benefit.