Surgeon cost feedback through a surgical receipt program reduces cost in sinonasal surgery

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Surgical Outcomes Research
• Medical Cost Management

Background:

• Operating room (OR) costs represent a significant component of overall healthcare expenditures.
• This study investigates the influence of a surgeon-specific surgical receipt cost feedback system on OR supply costs within sinonasal surgery.
• It also examines individual factors contributing to the overall procedural cost.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a surgeon-targeted surgical receipt cost feedback system on operating room supply costs in sinonasal surgery.
• To identify specific components contributing to procedural cost reduction.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of itemized weekly surgical receipts detailing individual case supply costs before and after implementing a non-incentivized surgeon cost feedback system (January 2017 - June 2019).
• Comparison of supply cost data from 15 months prior to intervention with data from 15 months post-implementation.
• Statistical analysis included Chi square tests for categorical data, Wilcoxon tests for cost comparison, and univariate/mediation analyses to assess impacting variables.

Main Results:

• A total of 502 sinonasal procedures were analyzed (239 pre-intervention, 264 post-intervention) with no significant differences in patient demographics or surgical indications.
• The median OR supply cost decreased significantly from $1229.64 to $1097.22 (p = 0.02) post-implementation.
• Procedure type, circulating nurse specialization, steroid-eluting stent usage, and sinus drill usage were significant factors influencing cost. Mediation analysis confirmed that reduced steroid-eluting stent use fully mediated the cost decrease.

Conclusions:

• Individualized OR surgical receipts providing surgeon cost feedback represent an effective strategy for reducing supply costs per case in sinonasal surgery.
• This feedback model can lead to significant cost savings in surgical procedures.