Team Learning in Head and Neck Surgery: An Economic and Quality Management Perspective

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare systems around the world face significant cost pressure and need to find ways to deal with this challenge without compromising treatment quality. Investigating and using learning effects might be an approach to achieve this goal. This study investigates surgeons' learning effects of a standard surgical procedure in otorhinolaryngology, the tonsillectomy. It focuses on short-, medium-, and long-term effects using incision-suture times and complications as cost indicators. Surgeons' experience, measured by qualification level, was also assessed. METHODS: Using process, quality, and economic data from a German tertiary care hospital, the economic effects of team learning processes and medical experience were compared using statistical methods to assess teamwork's impact on outcomes. RESULTS: Team learning and increased surgeon experience yielded cost savings and quality improvements across short-, medium-, and long-term periods. Teamwork accelerated learning, reducing operation times compared with individual settings. Resident physicians benefitted from engaging in team surgeries for accelerated knowledge acquisition. CONCLUSIONS: Team learning in tonsillectomies as a very common surgical procedure in the field of otorhinolaryngology offers insights into improving surgical outcomes from an economic and quality management perspective. The importance of teamwork in enhancing learning curves and reducing costs in head and neck surgery is underscored. Recommendations advocate for integrating quality management principles into surgical practices to optimize outcomes and resource utilization.