title: Decreasing total joint implant costs and physician specific cost variation through negotiation.
abstract: Reducing the cost of total joint implants can significantly reduce the cost of an episode of care without affecting the quality. In 2011 we began a program to decrease and standardize the pricing of total joint implants. In the first year of the intervention we preformed 1,090 and 1,022 unilateral total knee and total hip arthroplasties respectively. Based on our volume and pricing data, our institution saved over $2 million during the first year of this intervention. It is clear that our initiative to negotiate lower implant cost with our vendors has lead to a significant reduction in the cost of joint arthroplasties and a reduction in the variability in costs between physicians.
authors.affiliation: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.affiliation: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alvarado
authors.affiliation: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Slover
authors.affiliation: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.affiliation: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Lorraine H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hutzler
mesh_terms: D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007595:Joint Prosthesis / Q000191:economics*; D017008:Negotiating; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000191:economics*; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics
keywords: costs; joint implement; reducing cost variation; total hip replacement; total knee replacement