Variables 2016 2017 2018 2019 Average relative yearly change between 2016 and 2019 (95% CI), %
Total payments
Monetary value, $
27,358,539
28,757,456
28,090,504
28,728,005
Number of payments, No.
40,527
41,822
40,572
42,057
Payments per cardiologist
Monetary value, $
Mean (standard deviation)
3,917 (10,883)
4,068 (11,314)
3,938 (10,416)
4,082 (10,764)
0.6 (-0.7 to 1.8)
Median (interquartile range)
1,226 (511–3,247)
1,328 (511–3,372)
1,320 (511–3,270)
1,354 (613–3,335)
Maximum
248,198
221,104
173,339
211,955
Gini index
0.865
0.862
0.858
0.858
Number of payments, No.
Mean (standard deviation)
5.8 (10.1)
5.9 (10.4)
5.7 (9.7)
6.0 (10.0)
0.8 (-0.1 to 1.7)
Median (interquartile range)
3.0 (1.0–6.0)
3.0 (1.0–6.0)
3.0 (1.0–6.0)
3.0 (1.0–6.0)
Maximum
189.0
160.0
155.0
162.0
Gini index
0.810
0.808
0.802
0.805
Physicians with payments (%) (N=15,048), n 6,984 (46.4) 7,070 (47.0) 7,133 (47.4) 7,038 (46.8) 0.3 (-0.2 to 0.8)