Surgical Residents’ Poor Understanding of Operating Room Supply Costs and the Need for Education

Surgical residents have a poor understanding of the costs of common operating room supplies, and this does not improve with post-graduate training. A survey of 73 residents revealed that they accurately estimated costs for only 7 out of 21 items, with considerable error ranging from 26% to 5438%. They significantly underestimated the costs of the three highest-cost items. This study highlights the need for education to increase residents’ awareness of costs and ultimately reduce surgical healthcare expenses.