An increased demand for outpatient procedures and developments in pain management have expanded the scope of anesthesia professionals beyond the traditional operating room setting.
Here are three notes on anesthesia’s reach beyond the OR:
1. Shifts from full-time to contracted workers. Cory Koenig, DO, vice president of operations at Providence Anesthesiology Associates in Charlotte, N.C., told Becker’s that anesthesia is seeing changes in employment types as an increase in demand stretches staff.
“Many workers take the lowest number of shifts and hours to qualify for benefits and then take on a side gig as an independent contractor. Our organization has experienced a bit of everything because of our vast footprint. Charlotte’s anesthesiologist market is strong, and being based in a desirable city gives us a huge advantage in the recruitment arena. Staffing some of our more rural areas can become extremely difficult,” he said. “These positions have mainly become half-time positions, wherein people travel and assume work week on/week off-type schedules. The [certified registered nurse anesthetist] market is competitive with hospital systems driving up costs to have the upper hand in the compensation package offer. Certainly, from time to time, there are CRNA shortages that cause ORs to shut down. Overall, thankfully, there is still a contingent that believes in being part of a true private practice anesthesia group. It has been our experience that many are fleeing private equity and hospital employment groups due to their dissatisfaction.”
2. Utilizing emerging technologies. Vijay Sudheendra, MD, president of Narragansett Bay Anesthesia in Providence, R.I., told Becker’s that emerging technologies within anesthesia are central to its expansion into the outpatient setting.
For Dr. Sudheendra and his practice, the use of cryoanalgesia is an important tool in developing more comprehensive pain management.
“What we are doing is we are actually freezing some of the nerves that supply the knee joint, and those nerves are numb for about three months,” he said. “And these patients can actually participate in physical therapy, movement, [have] less pain, less opioids. We have seen that these patients who have received cryoanalgesia take less opioids.”
3. Building a “perioperative home.” Dr. Sudheendra and his practice are focusing on improving post-operative care and pain management for patients 30 to 90 days post-operation.
“[Anesthesiologists] play an instrumental role in this process, and we identified this early on,” he said. “We are looking at building what is known as ‘transitional pain service.’” This approach emphasizes treating pain within the first 30 days of recovery from a surgery with the goal of avoiding chronic pain in the future.
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