Office versus Institutional Operative Hysteroscopy: An Economic Model

Abstract

Model and compare estimated health system costs and gynecologic practice revenues when hysteroscopic surgery is performed in the office or institutional setting, either an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) or a traditional operating room (OR). Economic modeling exercise. Nonclinical. An economic model was developed that included US reimbursement rates for the office and institutional settings and the inherent expenses required for office hysteroscopic surgery. For Current Procedural Terminology code 58558, hysteroscopic biopsy and/or polypectomy, total health system costs were estimated as follows: office, $1382.48; ASC, $1655.31; OR $2918.10. In the modeled office setting, costs for the same procedure were estimated from instrumentation and supply list prices obtained from vendors and staffing costs from national databases. Revenue and cost modeling were performed and compared both for 1 to 10 monthly procedure volumes and by hysteroscopic systems, whereas other elements of the procedure were standardized, including technique, staffing, generic supplies, and the use of local anesthesia. Four vendors provided system price information: 1 purpose built, 1 electromechanical, and 2 traditional. The projected office-based, per case net revenue with the purpose-built system was always greater than in the ASC or OR and relatively independent of monthly procedure volume (1 per month $743.59; 10 per month $876.17). For the traditional and electromechanical systems, it took from 2 to 5 monthly procedures to realize a net revenue greater than $239.39. Using 3 sets of vendor matched instruments, at 10 cases per month, the per case net revenue for the electromechanical system was $514.00, and for the 2 traditional systems $564.02 and $693.72. Performance of office-based hysteroscopic surgery is associated with reduced health system costs compared with the institutional environment. The net revenue for the practice was dependent on both the volume of procedures performed and the hysteroscopic system and technique selected.