Characterization of Gender Differences in H-index Within Urological Subspecialties

Abstract

Purpose:Previous work in urology has shown that men have higher h-indices than women. However, the degree to which h-indices vary by gender within urological subspecialties has not been well defined. Herein, we assess gender differences in h-index among different subspecialties.Materials and Methods:Demographics were recorded for academic urologists using residency program websites as of July 2021. Scopus was queried to identify h-indices. Gender differences in h-index were estimated from a linear mixed-effects regression model with fixed effects for gender, urological subspecialty, MD/PhD status, years since first publication, interactions of subspecialty with years since first publication, and interactions of subspecialty with gender and random effects for AUA section and institution nested within AUA section. The Holm method was used to adjust for multiplicity (7 hypothesis tests).Results:Of 1,694 academic urologists from 137 institutions, 308 were women (18%). Median years since first publication was 20 for men (IQR 13, 29) and 13 for women (IQR 8, 17). Among all academic urologists, the median h-index was 8 points higher for men (15 [IQR 7, 27]) vs women (7 [IQR 5, 12]). There was no significant gender difference in h-index for any of the subspecialties after adjusting for urologist experience and after applying the Holm method for multiplicity correction.Conclusions:We were unable to demonstrate a gender difference in h-index after adjusting for urologist experience for any urological subspecialties. Future study is warranted as women become more senior members of the urological workforce.

Editorial Comment

“…1 In this study, the authors aim to investigate gender differences in scholarly productivity across urological specialties. 2 The findings reveal that although men have a higher median h-index, this difference is not statistically significant after accounting for urologist education and experience. Moreover, there is no gender difference by urological subspecialty.…”

“…In this issue of The Journal of Urology Ò , Findlay et al studied h-indexes of 1,694 academic U.S. urologists and found no significant gender differences within subspecialties after adjusting for practice experience. 2 More women urologists were subspecialized in pediatric urology or female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery than oncology, which was most common among men. It may be posited that previous reports of h-index gender-based differences could be explained by subspecialty.…”

Characterization of Gender Differences in H-index Within Urological Subspecialties. Reply.

“…The primary objective of our paper was to evaluate gender differences in h-index in each urological subspecialty. 1 Given that h-index can be influenced by time, we used the date of first publication in order to adjust for career duration, which has been described by other studies in the literature as a tool to reduce this temporal bias. [2][3][4] Although number of years in practice is another surrogate measure, this was more challenging to control for as this was not clearly described on departmental websites.…”

“…Small general personal payments, for example, a $20 USD meal, have been shown to influence physician prescribing. 1,2 Thus, general personal payments may also have broader implications for clinical practice, research, and leadership, especially if the amounts are significantly larger.…”

Reply by Authors

“…We appreciate the insightful comments on this important topic. 1 As Dr Nettey highlights, there are several shortcomings related to the h-index that challenge its utility in assessing academic productivity. While research remains an important pillar of academic medicine, there are many other components that could be considered when evaluating one’s academic contributions.…”