Spiraling costs, provider shortages, hospital closings and an aging population were already driving the U.S. healthcare system into crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic. To stay financially viable and continue providing patients access to high-quality healthcare, administrators must take a hard look at all facility resources and services, including anesthesia. This requires a willingness to evaluate costs, services and staffing, and to make decisions that maximize resources while ensuring quality and access to care.
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology believes Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling is ideally suited to address key concerns of healthcare systems. By adopting a decision-making framework from the science of public policy, Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling identifies the most appropriate anesthesia care delivery system for a location. This makes the most of a facility’s resources by positioning efficient anesthesia provider staffing as a central objective.
As research demonstrates, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are integral to a high-value anesthesia care delivery approach where quality and safety are emphasized and costs are reduced. Efficiency-driven Anesthesia Modeling engages both CRNAs and physician anesthesiologists working at the full scope of their practice, education and licensure. It also supports flexibility to match local demand and financial capacity, even as it limits the duplication of services, improves effectiveness, increases access and reduces costs.