Papers
15
Total Citations
606
H-Index
10
About
David F. Penson is a prominent urologic oncologist and health services researcher whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of prostate and bladder cancer treatment technologies, surgical outcomes, and healthcare economics. His research sits at the critical intersection of surgical innovation, comparative effectiveness, and value-based care, with a particular focus on evaluating whether emerging technologies deliver measurable benefits to patients. Penson has made significant contributions examining the rapid adoption of robotic-assisted surgery, notably investigating whether the surgical robot's widespread diffusion genuinely improved patient outcomes or primarily drove procedural volume and costs. His highly cited 2011 study (83 citations) revealed the complex relationship between robot acquisition and radical prostatectomy rates, while his population-based comparative analyses challenged assumptions about robotic superiority over open surgery. His 2017 systematic review (106 citations) remains essential reading on the cost-effectiveness of modern prostate cancer technologies, including robotic prostatectomy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and proton beam therapy. Beyond surgical evaluation, Penson has advanced methodological rigor in urologic research, offering thoughtful guidance on leveraging large administrative databases responsibly. His work on patient-reported outcomes through validated instruments like the EPIC-26 further demonstrates his commitment to understanding treatment impact from the patient's perspective, making his scholarship indispensable for clinicians, health economists, and policy researchers alike.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 6Centralization of Radical Prostatectomy in the United States37 citations · 2012
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- 8The Power and the Peril of Large Administrative Databases21 citations · 2015
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