Study objective: To survey cost containment activities in anesthesiology and to determine to what extent departments use cost policies and guidelines.
Design: Mail survey.
Setting: Academic and large nonacademic anesthesiology departments.
Measurements and main results: 147 responding departments answered 20 questions. 38% of surveys were returned. 90 responders identified themselves as academic departments and 57 responders as nonacademic. 73% of departments reported pressure from hospital administrators to reduce anesthesia costs. The most common cost-saving activity, used by 90% of departments, is improving operating room (OR) utilization. 53% of all departments have policies or guidelines to contain drug costs, while 48% of departments have these to contain other product costs. Departments reporting themselves as academic generally reported greater use of cost policies.
Conclusions: Anesthesiology departments are experiencing pressure to reduce costs and the majority have cost policies and guidelines concerning utilization of ORs and anesthetic drugs. Academic anesthesiology departments may be experiencing more cost-containment pressure than nonacademic departments.