Procedure Card Standardization and Cost, Waste, and Clinical Outcomes in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Objectives Operating rooms generate substantial supply costs and waste, often driven by variability in surgeon preference (procedure) cards. Standardizing these cards may reduce waste and costs without compromising patient outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective pre–post study, comparing the 6 months before and after implementation of standardized procedure cards. Primary outcomes included documented disposable supply cost per case and variation in listed supplies across cards. Result Among 6,099 cases, procedure card standardization was not associated with detected differences in measured clinical outcomes. Median documented supply cost per case per procedure card decreased from $729.23 (IQR, $588.31–$884.60) pre-implementation to $601.12 (IQR, $513.95–$749.53) post-implementation (p=0.005). Direct waste increased from 40.6 to 46.9 items per 1,000 cases, while direct waste cost decreased 23%. Indirect waste decreased from 599.3 to 436.0 items per 1,000 cases, with associated cost decreasing 39%. Conclusion Procedure card standardization is safe and associated with reduced supply cost, decreased waste, and improved consistency in supply use, without detected differences in measured clinical outcomes.