Awareness of Surgeons in Saudi Arabia About the Surgical Costs and Investigations: Multicenter Study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the level of knowledge and awareness of the cost of the currently used blood investigations, imaging studies, admission cost, and surgical instrument among surgeons in Saudi Arabia.


METHODS
It was a cross-section study conducted in Riyadh city, the capital of Saudi Arabia.


METHODS
Multihealth centers including main University hospital, Military hospitals, and Ministry of health hospitals. All surgeons in the health facilities were invited to participate in the study. A questionnaire has been formulated, and distributed to all participants. It was composed of 3 sections such as: demographic data, awareness about the cost, and physicians' perception about the cost and the attitude of their institution toward cost practice.


RESULTS
Totally, 296 participants were enrolled in the study. More than half of the respondents were females (53.3%). Nearly two-thirds were in the young age group (30-40 years), 41.2% were residents. Only 4.4%, 3.4%, 8.4%, and 3.7% of the surgeons were fully aware of the cost of blood investigations, imaging studies, surgical instruments/prosthesis, and the medication that they prescribe, respectively. Most of them mentioned that their institute neither encourages them to consider a cost-effective practice (86.9%) nor monitor how cost effective is their practice (86.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgeon's knowledge and awareness about the cost of different medical procedures were insufficient. Surgeons' knowledge and attitudes about costs of care can be improved through the use of audit and feedback with patient cost and charge data, which could be attained through the inclusion of audit and feedback as part of a curriculum teaching.
Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Moayad A
MA
Al Zamil
Cancer Research Chair, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: mostafaarafa@hotmail.com.
Mostafa A
MA
Arafa
D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000191:economics; D066231:Surgeons / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000191:economics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Medical Knowledge; Saudi Arabia; Systems-Based Practice; awareness; cost knowledge; cost-effective practice; surgeons