Office based--is my anesthetic care any different? Assessment and management.
Office-based anesthesia (OBA) is a unique and challenging venue, and, although the clinical outcomes have not been evaluated extensively, existing data indicate a need for increased regulation and additional education. Outcomes in OBA can be improved by education not only of anesthesiologists but also of surgeons, proceduralists, and nursing staff. Legislators must be educated so that appropriate regulations are instituted governing the practice of office-based surgery and the lay public must be educated to make wise, informed decisions about choice of surgery location. The leadership of societies, along with support from the membership, must play a key role in this educational process; only then can OBA become as safe as the anesthesia care in traditional venues.
Ahmad
Shireen
S
Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. sah704@northwestern.edu
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration; D011331:Private Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*