Patient Perspectives on the Cost of Hand Surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Health Economics
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Rising healthcare expenditures necessitate cost-saving strategies in hand surgery.
• Patient willingness to pay and comfort with cost-cutting measures are key considerations.
• Understanding patient financial perspectives is crucial for maintaining quality of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the out-of-pocket price patients will pay for common hand surgeries.
• To identify patient preferences regarding cost-saving measures in hand surgery.
• To investigate the relationship between procedure type, cost, and patient acceptance.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 1,408 anonymous respondents via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
• Respondents were presented with three hand surgery procedures and varying out-of-pocket costs.
• Patient acceptance of procedures at different price points and comfort with cost-saving methods were assessed.

Main Results:

• Approximately 80% of respondents were willing to pay for all tested procedures, irrespective of price.
• Carpal tunnel release showed higher price sensitivity compared to open reduction for distal radial fracture.
• Using older-generation implants was the least acceptable cost-saving measure, rejected by 50% of participants.

Conclusions:

• Patients demonstrate a willingness to pay significant out-of-pocket amounts for hand surgery when informed about the condition, treatment, and outcomes.
• Patients are hesitant to compromise on advanced technology, even if it leads to cost savings.
• Patient financial preferences and technology acceptance should be integrated into healthcare cost-reduction strategies.