Impact of an Educational Module Addressing the Cost of Disposable Surgical Equipment in Gynecologic Surgery

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Disposable surgical equipment is an expensive part of all cases. We sought to determine if an educational module could impact knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of providers in regards to disposable laparoscopic equipment. METHODS: An online education module was developed addressing the cost of disposable surgical equipment at the Kanas University Hospital. Gynecologic laparoscopic attending physicians and the gynecology operating room support staff completed a pretest, viewed an educational module and completed a post-test. The cost of disposable equipment per laparoscopic hysterectomy case was determined by utilizing the hospital inventory management software. The cost per case for the 3-month period prior to the intervention and the 3-month period afterwards was collected. RESULTS: A total of 24 providers participated in the study over a one-month period. Prior to the intervention participants were able to identify the most expensive option 43% of the time and the least expensive 55%. Afterwards participants were able to identify the most expensive option 85% of the time and least expensive 89% (P=.0008; P=.0177). The average cost of disposable surgical equipment per laparoscopic hysterectomy case from May to July 2015 was $1,502 for 20 cases, which was significantly higher than the average cost of $1,306 for 29 cases from September to November 2015 (P=.0381). DISCUSSION: An educational module has the ability to impact a providers knowledge about the cost of disposable surgical equipment and this knowledge may translate into potential cost savings in surgical cases.