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Supply costs per case reduced for TKA, cuff repair after implementation of surgeon score cards
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PHILADELPHIA — Implementation of surgeon score cards reduced supply costs per case in rotator cuff repair and total knee arthroplasty, and surgeons showed an interest in receiving score cards on a quarterly basis, according to study results presented here.
“Transparency in cost and quality places pressures on the physician to make them more cost-conscience in [their] approach to care. What we found is, with this data, physicians were interested and did change their practice in a majority of cases,” Luke S. Austin, MD, said in his presentation. “There was a total reduction of cost during this time period. For one procedure that went up in cost, there was a cost containment that occurred.”
In April 2012, quarterly score cards that showed the supply cost for rotator cuff repair, total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) of 17 orthopedic surgeons were sent to all participating surgeons and their referring primary care doctors. Austin and his colleagues estimated any cost savings that occurred during the 2 year study period and gauged surgeon interest in the score cards as well as score card influence.
During the 2-year study period, supply costs per case in rotator cuff repair and TKA decreased, while supply costs increased in THA. Through the first to the last quarter, Austin noted a cost savings of about $260 for rotator cuff repair and a cost savings of $300 for TKA. However, THA increased approximately $100.
“Throughout the 2-year time period there was about $40,000 in savings for rotator cuff; $290,000 in savings for total knee arthroplasty; and there was an increase of about $100,000 for total hip,” Austin said. “For these three procedures, the total savings was $230,000 for this time period.”
“Asking questions to the surgeon about what their level of interest was, 85% of surgeons were moderately or extremely interested in this score card and 54% of surgeons admitted to changing their practice with this data,” Austin added. — by Casey Tingle
Reference:
Mehnert M, et al. Effect of physician “score cards” and their impact on surgical cost. Presented at: Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society Fall Scientific Meeting; Oct. 15-16, 2015; Philadelphia.
Disclosure: Austin reports no relevant financial disclosures.