National Institutes of Health Funding and Patent Innovation in Academic Otolaryngology (2014-2024).

Abstract

Research productivity, measured through publication and citation indices, is frequently evaluated during the allocation of funding to hospitals, medical departments, or faculty. However, current publication metrics do not sufficiently capture "innovativeness," especially in the realm of health technologies. Patent data, which can serve as markers of tangible innovation, remain underutilized in resource decision-making in otolaryngology. Retrospective study. The aim was to explore the relationship between NIH funding and patent production in academic otolaryngology. The Lens Patent Database (lens.org) was used to obtain patent information for all U.S. A61 patents filed in the past decade, affiliated with otolaryngology faculty at 2023 NIH-funded institutions. Faculty data was algorithmically matched to patents and organized into departmental datasets, which included patent totals, citation statistics, and innovation indices. Departmental attributes were collected from publicly available sources. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify factors correlated with patent activity. Analysis of data from 48 NIH-funded otolaryngology departments revealed an average NIH funding of $3.646 million, with a median of 16.5 patents and 51.5 patent citations per department over the past decade. The amount of NIH funding did not significantly correlate with the 10-year patent count but did show a significant, positive correlation with 10-year patent citations (p < 0.05). The number and proportion of PhD faculty, residency program size, and department rankings were also positively associated with patent output (p < 0.05). This research underscores the importance of institutional funding, educational background, and residency characteristics in promoting innovation within otolaryngology. N/A.