Harnessing Behavioral Economics Principles to Promote Better Surgeon Accountability for Operating Room Cost: A Prospective Study.

Background: Operating room (OR) cost accounts for a significant portion of inpatient spending, but most surgeons are unaware of the costs of OR implants and supplies. We leveraged behavioral economics principles and a cost transparency tool to have an impact on discretionary OR spending (disposable supplies).

Study Design: We performed a single-institution, prospective study, from January to December 2018, across 3 departments: urology, thoracic, and endocrine.