title: Advantages of disposable endoscopic accessories.
abstract: Despite the prevailing emphasis on falling reimbursements and cost containment, the use of disposable endoscopic accessories has grown tremendously. They offer simplicity of use, certain sterility, and reduced labor costs in exchange for higher purchase costs per procedure and the burden of waste disposal. Disposable accessories provide greater variety, complexity, and utility. They carry a cost burden that may be acceptable when the devices are difficult to reprocess, when they incorporate features that justify the added cost, or when their unit cost approaches purchase plus reprocessing costs for reusable alternatives, such as for biopsy forceps. Units with small volumes may prefer the ease of disposable accessories independent of relative cost issues, while large high-volume units may need to evaluate cost data more carefully to maintain sustainable practices.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004209:Disposable Equipment / Q000191:economics; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D017743:Equipment Reuse / Q000191:economics; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006801:Humans; D008506:Medical Waste / Q000517:prevention & control; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D008506:Medical Waste