Anesthesiology clinics
-
The safety of anesthesia delivered in the operating room is enhanced by the standardization and reliability built into that environment, which has prescriptive and detailed protocols for almost every procedure performed. Experienced anesthesiologists come to rely on these operating room characteristics to support the delivery of safe care. Anesthesiologists giving anesthesia outside the operating room often find themselves in settings that lack this rigor and that therefore challenge safety. This article describes the basic concepts in safety, with an emphasis on teamwork and communication, and then discusses how their application ensures safe care in remote locations.
-
Anesthesiology clinics · Dec 2008
ReviewPart-time clinical anesthesia practice: a review of the economic, quality, and safety issues.
Part-time clinical practice in anesthesia is increasing due to the feminization and the aging of the medical workforce, as well as the arrival of generations X and Y to the health care workforce. Recruiting the best and brightest physicians requires accommodating their needs and interests, as well as retaining older workers who wish to reduce their hours as they approach retirement. This article discusses steps to help departments or groups optimally manage the part-time anesthesia workforce.
-
Anesthesiology clinics · Dec 2008
ReviewThe value proposition of anesthesia information management systems.
Anesthesia information management systems add value to the anesthesiologist and the hospital above that which is provided by manual anesthesia records. The more complete documentation and less biased recording of vital signs in this system, relative to manual records, provide data needed for quality initiatives and operating room management and for clinical research. The system can improve the ability to increase anesthesia charge capture, meet the requirements of pay-for-performance programs, and assist in the defense of malpractice allegations. Realization of value from the anesthesia information management systems requires additional expenditures of resources to adapt the systems to meet specific institutional requirements.
-
Anesthesiology clinics · Dec 2008
Is it possible to measure and improve patient satisfaction with anesthesia?
Satisfaction cannot be considered as an objective indicator of the quality of anesthesia care, but it remains the best way to assess the outcome from the point of view of the patient. Patient satisfaction offers the opportunity for evaluating nontechnical aspects of medical care, in particular interpersonal relationships arising from specific episodes of care. ⋯ If improving patient satisfaction with anesthesia becomes one of the aims of a health service, anesthetists have to consider that when patients have an improved anesthesia experience, their expectations are exceeded, which in turn increases the expectations for subsequent anesthetics. A continuous quality improvement process is needed to maintain patient satisfaction at the highest level.