The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is an active participant in the American Medical Association (AMA)/ Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) process. A very important component of the RUC process is the RUC survey.
The rules related to conducting an RUC survey are governed by the RUC. The specialty societies conduct the surveys, analyze the data and use those data to advocate for fair physician work relative value units (RVUs).
RUC surveys are conducted when new CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes are approved by the AMA’s CPT Editorial Panel or when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and/ or the AMA RUC identify a service as potentially misvalued.
RUC surveys are completed online and must be completed independently without coaching or assistance, with the exception of clarification from specialty society staff.
An RUC survey of physician work solicits information about: physician time required to perform the service; mental effort and judgment; technical skill and physical effort; and psychological stress.
Respondents are asked to indicate whether the typical patient described in their survey is their typical patient for that procedure. However, regardless of whether the patient described is the respondent’s typical patient, the respondent should complete the survey based on the described typical patient.
Demographic information about the person completing the survey is collected to assist with data analysis. The survey includes a reference service list of codes for currently performed procedures and their corresponding RVUs. Respondents will estimate how much time it takes to perform the surveyed procedure and the number and level of postoperative visits.
Respondents will be asked to compare the mental effort and judgment, technical skill or physical effort, and psychological stress of the surveyed code to the reference procedure.
In the final step, respondents are asked to estimate a relative physician work RVU for the surveyed procedure based on responses to all the previous questions.
Members, your voice needs to be heard. Next time you receive an invitation in your email to complete an RUC survey, please take the time to complete it. Contact [email protected] with questions.
Wayne Causey, MD, is a member of the SVS Coding Committee.
