A. D. Newton1, G. Savulionyte1, K. R. Dumon1, J. Anderson1, V. Salasky1, D. T. Dempsey1 1Hospital Of The University Of Pennsylvania,Surgery,Pennsylvania, PA, USA
Introduction: The American College of Surgeons’ 2009 Statement on Health Care Reform called for a reduction of health care costs and implementation of cost-effective care. Operating room (OR) materials are an important component of surgical health care costs. The purpose of this project was to measure surgeons’ knowledge of the cost of ten commonly used OR materials.
Methods: A questionnaire was designed to determine knowledge of actual (not billed) cost to the hospital of 10 common OR materials (Ligasure, Endoclip, Endodissect, Lap irrigator, GIA 60 Stapler, Endo GIA, Harmonic ACE, Marlex Mesh, Permacol, and packed red blood cells). It was completed by surgical attendings (n=12) and residents (n=44). All were familiar with all 10 OR items. Each multiple-choice question (1 per OR item) contained four distinct price range options, one of which contained the actual cost of the item. Differences were assessed by Chi Square.
Results: Attending surgeons scored significantly better on the overall survey than surgical residents (45% vs. 31% correct answers, p<0.05). On 6 out of 10 items, at least 50% of attendings and residents were wrong about the cost (Table 1).
Conclusion: Surgical attendings and residents demonstrate a lack of knowledge of the actual cost to the hospital of basic operating room materials. In an era of increased focus on cost-effectiveness and value in healthcare, medical centers and residency programs should improve education to both attending and resident surgeons regarding the cost of OR supplies.
