Christopher R Jackson1, Roland D Eavey1, David O Francis2. 1. Department of Otolaryngology, Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 2. Department of Otolaryngology, Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA Vanderbilt Voice Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA Department of Otolaryngology, Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Disorders, Center for Surgical Quality and Outcomes Research, Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA david.o.francis@vanderbilt.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The extent to which surgeons understand costs associated with expensive operative procedures remains unclear. The goal of the study was to better understand surgeon cost awareness of operating room supplies and implants. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of faculty (n = 24) and trainees (fellow and residents, n = 27) in the Department of Otolaryngology. Participants completed surveys to assess opinions on importance of cost and ease in accessing cost data and were asked to estimate the costs of operating room (OR) supplies and implants. Estimates within 20% of actual cost were considered correct. Analyses were stratified into faculty and trainee surgeons. RESULTS: Cost estimates varied widely, with a low percentage of correct estimations (25% for faculty, 12% for trainees). Surgeons tended to underestimate the cost of high-cost items (55%) and overestimate the cost of low-cost items (77%). Attending surgeons were more accurate at correctly estimating costs within their own subspecialty (33% vs 16%, P < .001). Self-rated cost knowledge and years in practice did not correlate with cost accuracy (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: A majority of surgeons were unable to correctly estimate the costs of items/implants used in their OR. An opportunity exists to improve the mechanisms by which cost data are fed back to physicians to help promote value-based decision making.
BACKGROUND: The extent to which surgeons understand costs associated with expensive operative procedures remains unclear. The goal of the study was to better understand surgeon cost awareness of operating room supplies and implants. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of faculty (n = 24) and trainees (fellow and residents, n = 27) in the Department of Otolaryngology. Participants completed surveys to assess opinions on importance of cost and ease in accessing cost data and were asked to estimate the costs of operating room (OR) supplies and implants. Estimates within 20% of actual cost were considered correct. Analyses were stratified into faculty and trainee surgeons. RESULTS: Cost estimates varied widely, with a low percentage of correct estimations (25% for faculty, 12% for trainees). Surgeons tended to underestimate the cost of high-cost items (55%) and overestimate the cost of low-cost items (77%). Attending surgeons were more accurate at correctly estimating costs within their own subspecialty (33% vs 16%, P < .001). Self-rated cost knowledge and years in practice did not correlate with cost accuracy (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: A majority of surgeons were unable to correctly estimate the costs of items/implants used in their OR. An opportunity exists to improve the mechanisms by which cost data are fed back to physicians to help promote value-based decision making.
Authors: John R Kirkpatrick; Stanley Marks; Michele Slane; Donald Kim; Lance Cohen; Michael Cortelli; Juan Plate; Richard Perryman; John Zapas Journal: J Am Coll Surg Date: 2015-01-06 Impact factor: 6.113
Authors: Paul A Harris; Robert Taylor; Robert Thielke; Jonathon Payne; Nathaniel Gonzalez; Jose G Conde Journal: J Biomed Inform Date: 2008-09-30 Impact factor: 6.317
Authors: Raymond J Malapero; Rodney A Gabriel; Robert Gimlich; Jesse M Ehrenfeld; Beverly K Philip; David W Bates; Richard D Urman Journal: J Med Syst Date: 2015-03-03 Impact factor: 4.460
Authors: Vasanth Sathiyakumar; A Alex Jahangir; Hassan R Mir; William T Obremskey; Young M Lee; Rachel V Thakore; Manish K Sethi Journal: Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ) Date: 2014-01
Authors: Beiqun Zhao; Griffin A Tyree; Timothy C Lin; Florin Vaida; Blake J Stock; Thomas A Hamelin; Bryan M Clary Journal: J Surg Res Date: 2018-12-13 Impact factor: 2.192
Authors: Liza Abraham; Nik Goyert; Daniel J Kagedan; Andrea MacNeill; Michelle C Cleghorn; Julie Hallet; Fayez A Quereshy; Natalie G Coburn Journal: Can J Surg Date: 2018-12-01 Impact factor: 2.089
Authors: Eoin MacCraith; Niall F Davis; Cliodhna Browne; David J Galvin; David M Quinlan; Gerald M Lennon; David W Mulvin Journal: J Clin Diagn Res Date: 2016-10-01
Authors: Jamie R Robinson; Nicholas H Carter; Corinne Gibson; Adam S Brinkman; Kyle Van Arendonk; Karen E Speck; Melissa E Danko; Gretchen P Jackson; Harold N Lovvorn; Martin L Blakely Journal: J Pediatr Surg Date: 2018-03-08 Impact factor: 2.545
Authors: Kayvahn P Steck-Bayat; Janet A Foote; Jamal Mourad; Kelly H Roy; Andrea G Aguirre; Nichole D Mahnert Journal: JSLS Date: 2019 Apr-Jun Impact factor: 2.172