Surgeons' knowledge about the costs of orthopaedic implants

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Health Economics
• Medical Device Costs

Background:

• Accurate knowledge of implant costs is crucial for effective healthcare resource management.
• Surgeons play a key role in implant selection, influencing overall procedure costs.
• Previous studies have not comprehensively assessed surgeon awareness of implant pricing across various joint procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cost awareness of consultant orthopaedic surgeons regarding implants used in common joint replacement and repair surgeries.
• To compare surgeons' estimated costs with actual manufacturer prices for specific orthopaedic implants.
• To identify discrepancies in cost perception and inform strategies for cost reduction in orthopaedic procedures.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based survey was administered to consultant orthopaedic surgeons at two hospitals.
• Respondents estimated the costs of implants for total hip replacement (THR), total knee replacement (TKR), uni-compartmental knee replacement, arthroscopy shaver blades, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fixation, and meniscal repair.
• Actual implant costs were obtained directly from manufacturers for comparison.

Main Results:

• Surgeons overestimated the costs of low-demand THR (18.4%), high-demand THR (25%), TKR (17.8%), and arthroscopy shaver blades (16.6%).
• Conversely, surgeons underestimated the costs of uni-compartmental knee replacements (19.7%), total ACL fixation (19.4%), and meniscal repair implants (37%).
• Significant discrepancies between estimated and actual costs were observed across multiple implant categories.

Conclusions:

• Consultant orthopaedic surgeons exhibit a general lack of precise knowledge regarding the costs of orthopaedic implants.
• Addressing this knowledge gap requires enhanced surgeon awareness of cost-reduction programs and improved collaboration between surgeons and hospital management.
• Implementing targeted educational initiatives and cost-awareness programs can contribute to more efficient resource utilization in orthopaedic surgery.