Physician-Led Anesthesia Care Provides Unique Value

As medical doctors, anesthesiologists keep patients safe, improve outcomes, protect your institution’s financial health, and increase the efficiency and quality of care across many medical and surgical specialties. They deliver unique value throughout the perioperative period.

NEW: Enabling growth in nonoperating room anesthesia procedures amid workforce shortages

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is working with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) to identify solutions to accommodate the increase in nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA) services across health care sites. These solutions are driven by advances in surgical technology; innovations in complex procedures in endoscopy suites, cardiac catheterization labs, and other facilities; payer incentives to shift cases to ambulatory surgery centers; and the aging population. Discover 10 steps to meet patient surgical demand while ensuring patient safety and quality outcomes.

Enabling Growth in NORA Procedures Amid Workforce Shortages

In this AHA/ASA knowledge exchange, C-suite and health care leaders discuss how to address the growth in NORA cases amid workforce shortages.

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Addressing workforce challenges

Doing more with less has become a reality for many hospitals and health systems. Your institution—big or small—is likely dealing with workforce issues, as a shortage of health care professionals coincides with an increased demand for their services, particularly for surgeries and advanced medical procedures.  

Solutions to Health Care's Top Issue: Workforce Challenges

Download white paper on short- and long-term solutions to workforce challenges.

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Anesthesiologists are identifying short- and long-term solutions to continue serving your communities and uphold high-quality care while generating revenue and effectively managing resources.  

AHA and ASA identify solutions for surgical backlogs. The American Hospital Association is working with the American Society of Anesthesiologists to share how health care leaders are relying on anesthesiologists to improve perioperative performance, expand the use of existing OR capacity, and explore new practice models to tackle the surgical backlog. Download a summary of their findings and listen to a related podcast: 

Solutions for a resource-constrained environment

Amid staffing shortages, lower inpatient bed availability, and reduced operating room capacity, many hospitals are struggling to expand access to surgical care and clear backlogs that accumulated during the pandemic.

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AHA Associates Bringing Value Podcast — Episode 36: How Anesthesiologists Are Addressing Workforce Challenges

Improving institutional performance

Removing anesthesiologists from anesthesia care is risky for your hospital and patients. You can partner with your anesthesiologists to reduce risk and enhance your hospital’s ratings and reputation.

Physician-lead anesthesia statistic quote

Protecting your institution and patients with medical expertise

Anesthesiologists lead anesthesia care and provide an unparalleled level of education and training to protect patients.

With specialized training, anesthesiologists identify and mitigate patient risk before surgery, prevent and respond to emergencies during surgery, and enhance postoperative recovery. They assume overall responsibility for anesthesia care while delegating appropriate roles to nonphysician anesthesia practitioners.

Get the Facts:

Many studies prove the benefits of anesthesiologist-led care.

Statistic about post-surgery hospitalization

Anesthesiologists Improve Your Bottom Line

While hospitals and health care systems look to reduce costs, safety and quality cannot be overlooked. As essential providers on the Anesthesia Care Team, anesthesiologists can help control costs and maximize your institution’s financial health. Their years of training and work across medical departments enable them to identify efficiencies, conserve staffing resources, and generate revenue—all of which strengthen your financial performance.

Controlling costs during patient care

Research shows that anesthesiologists’ involvement in patient care helps control costs before, during, and after surgery by:

  • Reducing unnecessary testing, same-day cancellations, operating room emergencies, and surgical complications.
  • Decreasing the need for additional consults from other specialty physicians for services that could have been provided by an anesthesiologist.
  • Reducing the risk of hospitalization following outpatient surgery.

Learn more about anesthesiologists’ impact on costs.

Bolstering revenue and improving outcomes

Anesthesiologists identify and evaluate operating room efficiencies—improving first case on-time starts, operating room turnover times, post-anesthesia care unit discharge times, and more.

“We are in a position to drive value throughout the entire perioperative process, across a variety of surgical specialties, to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients at the most reasonable cost to the institution.”

 

— Steven Schulman, MD, MHA, FASA, Associate Medical Director

Programs developed and led by anesthesiologists, such as the Perioperative Surgical Home and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, significantly reduce patient mortality and improve operating room efficiency.

perioperative surgical home facts

Anesthesiologists Improve Health and Access to High-Quality Care for All Patients

Anesthesiologists play a critical role in perioperative care, maternal care, and pain management—areas that often see gaps in the quality of patient outcomes that are associated with race, geography, and other social factors.

Narrowing equity gaps in health care

Many medical conditions and complications disproportionately affect certain populations, such as historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups and those with low incomes. Often, these disparities arise from insufficient access to health care, which can leave medical conditions undetected or untreated. Anesthesiologists are well positioned to mitigate the consequences of unequal access to diagnosis and care because of their involvement with patients before and after surgery, which gives them the opportunity to identify and treat these conditions.

Safeguarding maternal health for marginalized patients

Anesthesiologists can play a role in mitigating the consequences of unequal access to maternal health care. As health care leaders know, maternal mortality rates are higher among low-income and minority populations, especially among Black women. Obstetric anesthesiologists work to prevent maternal deaths from cardiovascular disease, embolic disease, preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, and other conditions.

obstetric anesthesiologists help save mothers' lives facts

man with a surgical mask on