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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Anz Journal of Surgery

Status Quo Bias: An Overlooked Barrier to Sustainable Surgical Care

  • Chen Lew1
  • Arun Dhir1,2,3
  • Ben Dunne2
  • Eugenie Kayak4
  • Robert Hoffmann5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of General Surgery, Department of Health and Human Services Royal Hobart Hospital Hobart Tasmania Australia
  2. 2Epworth HealthCare Melbourne Victoria Australia
  3. 3Parkville Campus University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
  4. 4Department of Critical Care The University of Melbourne Parkville Australia
  5. 5Tasmanian Behavioural Lab University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
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Abstract

Healthcare contributes to the climate change, with operating theatres among the most resource‐intensive environments. Although technological solutions to mitigate this exist, behavioural factors remain under‐recognised barriers to sustainable surgical practice. This perspective examines status quo bias as a driver of reliance on single‐use devices in surgery, one of the contributors to the carbon footprint of operating rooms. Drawing on behavioural economics, historical examples, and surgical data, we explore how entrenched defaults, training culture, and lack of feedback perpetuate waste without improving outcomes. Addressing status quo bias through redesigned defaults, feedback mechanisms, and cultural change is essential to advancing responsible surgical care.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{lew2026status,
  title = {{Status Quo Bias: An Overlooked Barrier to Sustainable Surgical Care}},
  author = {Chen Lew and Arun Dhir and Ben Dunne and Eugenie Kayak and Robert Hoffmann},
  journal = {Anz Journal of Surgery},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1111/ans.70887},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.70887},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Status Quo Bias: An Overlooked Barrier to Sustainable Surgical Care
AU  - Chen Lew
AU  - Arun Dhir
AU  - Ben Dunne
AU  - Eugenie Kayak
AU  - Robert Hoffmann
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/27
JO  - Anz Journal of Surgery
DO  - 10.1111/ans.70887
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.70887
AB  - Healthcare contributes to the climate change, with operating theatres among the most resource‐intensive environments. Although technological solutions to mitigate this exist, behavioural factors remain under‐recognised barriers to sustainable surgical practice. This perspective examines status quo bias as a driver of reliance on single‐use devices in surgery, one of the contributors to the carbon footprint of operating rooms. Drawing on behavioural economics, historical examples, and surgical data, we explore how entrenched defaults, training culture, and lack of feedback perpetuate waste without improving outcomes. Addressing status quo bias through redesigned defaults, feedback mechanisms, and cultural change is essential to advancing responsible surgical care.
SN  - 1445-1433
SN  - 1445-2197
ER  -