Cost-effectiveness of surgical comanagement: A systematic review.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of surgical comanagement programs on healthcare system costs. BACKGROUND: With increasing emphasis on multidisciplinary care, surgical comanagement programs are increasing in popularity. However, the overall cost-effectiveness of these programs has yet to be evaluated. METHODS: Pubmed, Scopus, and Cochrane were systematically searched for studies that reported on cost outcomes after implementation of a surgical comanagement program. Data points extracted included study design details, cost outcomes, complication rates, duration of hospital stay, hospital volume changes, patient satisfaction, mortality, and overall multidisciplinary care recommendation. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies were included. Five of the 8 studies reported cost savings, with an average savings of $4132 per patient. Three of the 8 studies reported increases in costs, with an average increase of $11,128 per patient. Seven of the 8 studies reported decreases in length-of-stay, with an average decrease of 1.29 days. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical comanagement programs have had mixed results on overall hospital costs, but cost saving interventions do not sacrifice the quality of patient care delivered.