Learning by Doing: Productivity Gains for Surgeons Performing CABGs (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft)

摘要

Technological improvements and other factors are believed to have reduced the time and effort required by surgeons to perform certain surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, there have been no time-series regression studies to document that operative times have gotten shorter, holding constant characteristics like the number of grafts. The report summarizes an attempt to measure the change in CABG operating times and to determine prevailing charges that have been adjusted for improved surgeon productivity. Study results indicate that the average prevailing charge for CABG surgery rose about 47 percent between 1978-1984, a few percentage points below the national Medicare Economic Index (which increased 52 percent). Over the same time period, the productivity growth for surgeons performing CABG surgery was 23 percent. Results suggest that the 1984 CABG prevailing is 12.5 percent above the level necessary in order for cardiac surgeons to maintain economic parity with other non-farm workers, as implied by the Medicare MEI.