A surgeon-led collaborative across 14 Massachusetts hospitals cut spending on several orthopedic supplies while maintaining low infection rates, according to a study published June 3 in The American Journal of Managed Care.
Researchers from Boston-based New England Baptist Hospital and Tufts Medical Center tracked 10,657 total joint arthroplasty procedures performed between June 2023 and June 2024 across the hospitals.
Here are four things to know:
- The initiative identified more than $800,000 in annual savings opportunities: The Musculoskeletal Quality Collaborative implemented standardized protocols aimed at reducing use of antibiotic-infused bone cement, negative pressure wound therapy dressings and certain surgical irrigation products.
- Use of antibiotic-infused bone cement dropped sharply: Systemwide utilization fell from 19.6% to 5.5%, generating approximately $160,000 in savings and achieving nearly 72% of the collaborative’s projected cost-reduction target.
- Surgical irrigation product use also declined: Povidone-iodine irrigation use decreased 51.6%, while reductions in irrigation product utilization generated approximately $256,000 in savings.
- Infection rates remained low despite lower supply utilization: In 2023, the health system recorded 18 infections among 6,592 total knee arthroplasties, compared with 14 infections among 5,955 procedures in 2022. The system’s standardized infection ratio was 0.906.
The authors concluded the findings suggest physician-led, data-driven collaboratives can support value-based care efforts by reducing spending on low-value interventions without compromising patient safety.
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