Surgical Supply Cost Awareness Is Associated With Lower Costs: A Single-Center Experience. Issue 10 (25th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tseng, Joshua; Sax, Harry C.; Gewertz, Bruce L.; Margulies, Daniel R.; Alban, Rodrigo F.
• Is Part Of: American surgeon. Volume 86:Issue 10(2020)
• Page Start: 1407
• Page End: 1410
• Publication Date: 2020-10-25
• Subjects: supply cost -- appendectomy -- cost savings -- operating room costs; Surgery -- Periodicals; Surgery -- United States -- Periodicals; 617.0973
• DOI: 10.1177/0003134820964494
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-1348

Abstract

Surgeons are often unfamiliar with the costs of surgical instrumentation and supplies. We hypothesized that surgeon cost feedback would be associated with a reduction in cost. A multidisciplinary team evaluated surgical supply costs for laparoscopic appendectomies of 7 surgeons (surgeons A-G) at a single-center academic institution. In the intervention, each surgeon was debriefed with their average supply cost per case, their partner's average supply cost per case, the cost of each surgical instrument/supply, and the cost of alternatives. In addition, the laparoscopic appendectomy tray was standardized to remove extraneous instruments. Pre-intervention (March 2017-February 2018) and post-intervention (March 2018-October 2018) costs were compared. Pre-intervention, the surgeons' average supply cost per case ranged from $754-$1189; when ranked from most to least expensive, surgeon A > B > C > D > E > F > G. Post-intervention, the surgeons' average supply cost per case ranged from $676 to $846, and ranked from surgeon G > D > F > C > E > B > A. Overall, the average cost per case was lower in the post-intervention group ($854.35 vs. $731.11, P < .001). This resulted in savings per case of $123.24 (14.4%), to a total annualized savings of $29 151.