title: Cost-Conscious of Anesthesia Physicians: An awareness survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing competitive pressure and health performance system in the hospitals result in pressure to reduce the resources allocated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anesthesiology and intensive care physicians awareness of the cost of the materials used and to determine the factors that influence it.
  
  
  METHODS
  This survey was conducted between September 2012 and September 2013 after the approval of the local ethics committee. Overall 149 anesthetists were included in the study. Participants were asked to estimate the cost of 30 products used by anesthesiology and intensive care units.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred forty nine doctors, 45% female and 55% male, participated in this study. Of the total 30 questions the averages of cost estimations were 5.8% accurate estimation, 35.13% underestimation and 59.16% overestimation. When the participants were divided into the different groups of institution, duration of working in this profession and sex, there were no statistically significant differences regarding accurate estimation. However, there was statistically significant difference in underestimation. In underestimation, there was no significant difference between 16-20 year group and >20 year group but these two groups have more price overestimation than the other groups (p=0.031). Furthermore, when all the participants were evaluated there were no significant difference between age-accurate cost estimation and profession time-accurate cost estimation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anesthesiology and intensive care physicians in this survey have an insufficient awareness of the cost of the drugs and materials that they use. The institution and experience are not effective factors for accurate estimate. Programs for improving the health workers knowledge creating awareness of cost should be planned in order to use the resources more efficiently and cost effectively.
authors.affiliation: Sedat Hakimoğlu, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, 31100, Serinyol, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hakimoglu
authors.affiliation: Volkan Hancı, MD, Associate Professor, Dept. of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Volkan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hancı
authors.affiliation: Murat Karcıoğlu, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, 31100, Serinyol, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karcıoglu
authors.affiliation: Kasım Tuzcu, MD, AssistantProfessor, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, 31100, Serinyol, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kasım
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tuzcu
authors.affiliation: Isıl Davarcı, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, 31100, Serinyol, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Isıl
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davarcı
authors.affiliation: Hasan Ali Kiraz, MD, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, ÇanakkaleOnsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Ali
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kiraz
authors.affiliation: Selim Turhanoğlu, MD, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, 31100, Serinyol, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turhanoglu
keywords: Anesthesia; Awareness; Cost effectively