Ways to Mitigate the Challenges Facing Anesthesiologists

Indicators of performance provide the most apparent evidence of anesthesiology's contribution to successful outcomes.

FREMONT, CA: There is a severe scarcity of anesthesiologists. CRNAs, Certified Anesthesia Assistants, and the field of anesthesiology are experiencing the brunt of healthcare disruptions and realignments. Anesthesiology may enhance its value proposition and gain strength in numbers; while addressing the workforce shortage. Anesthesia is essential to the entirety of ASC care. Anesthesia does not begin and end in the operating room; it affects clinical results and overall patient satisfaction across the entire range of care delivery.

Anesthesiologists must determine whether to refer patients to an ambulatory facility, pre-surgical optimization, preoperative assessment, intraoperative care, acute recovery, and discharge. Part of managing value-based care depends on the capacity to collaborate with all physicians, including those with independent practices. Despite their importance, anesthesiologists face a harsh business and operating environment. Consolidation among independent physician practices, shrinking provider networks, contract cancellations, and steadily declining payment rates by commercial and private payers are among the developments that create headwinds.

Even while demand for anesthesiologists' services increases due to an aging population, these changes diminish their negotiating power.