As anesthesia groups confront workforce constraints and rising case volumes, leaders are turning to remote and tele-enabled models to extend coverage and improve efficiency.
The shift is being driven by technology, staffing shortages and the growing demand for anesthesia in nontraditional settings such as ASCs, imaging centers and office-based suites.
The focus is moving from single-site coverage to networked, technology-assisted anesthesia care that can scale across locations while maintaining safety and oversight.
Here are five ways anesthesia leaders are expanding into tele- and remote-sedation models:
1. Building connected anesthesia networks: Technology is transforming anesthesia care in ASCs — streamlining workflows, enhancing safety and expanding the possibilities for same-day complex procedures.
AI tools are automating preoperative chart review, improving case triage and optimizing scheduling — reducing same-day cancellations and administrative workload. Remote preoperative evaluations and tele-anesthesia platforms are also expanding access, allowing clinicians to oversee cases and support teams across multiple sites.
Together, these innovations are creating connected anesthesia networks that enhance efficiency, patient access and clinical oversight.
2. Integrating AI into perioperative oversight: AI is emerging in anesthesia not to replace clinicians, but to enhance safety, precision and efficiency. Real-time monitoring and predictive analytics are helping anesthesiologists anticipate risks, adjust care and improve outcomes across hospitals and ASCs.
“Workforce shortages and reimbursement cuts are pushing hospitals and anesthesia groups to optimize operational efficiency, use more smart documentation and scheduling tools and explore innovative models of perioperative care,” Vijay Sudheendra, MD, president of Narragansett Bay Anesthesia in Providence, R.I., told Becker’s.
Leaders also say AI’s greatest promise lies in amplifying human capacity — not replacing it.
3. Expanding anesthesia into new care environments: As more procedures shift to ASCs, anesthesia leaders see opportunities to enhance recovery and efficiency — but warn that safety readiness and weak reimbursement could slow progress. The addition of more than 200 ASC-approved procedures is accelerating the need for anesthesia teams to adapt.
Providers are focusing on emergency preparedness, short-acting agents, regional blocks and multimodal pain control to improve outcomes and speed recovery. For higher-acuity cases, access to airway equipment, resuscitation tools and clear transfer pathways is essential.
With fee cuts and inflation pressuring margins, leaders say success will hinge on payer mix, utilization management and strong alignment between ASCs and anesthesia groups.
4. Reinventing staffing and sustainability models: Workforce shortages and years of reimbursement cuts are forcing anesthesia groups to confront inefficiencies in both clinical and administrative workflows. Leaders say maintaining personalized, high-quality care amid these pressures will require smarter use of technology and new models of perioperative delivery.
“AI-driven decision support and automation — especially in monitoring, dosing and workflow — are poised to be the most transformative innovations in anesthesia, enabling more precise, personalized and safer anesthetic care,” Dr. Sudheendra told Becker’s.
From virtual and augmented-reality training to handheld AI-enhanced ultrasound for regional anesthesia, new tools are helping teams extend expertise, streamline documentation and sustain operations across expanding outpatient networks.
5. Aligning partnerships around technology and value: As outpatient surgery grows, anesthesia’s role is shifting from contracted service to strategic partner. Rising patient acuity, tighter margins and workforce shortages are pushing ASCs and anesthesia groups to align around efficiency, quality and financial sustainability.
“ASCs need to think differently — anesthesia must be seen and treated as an essential, productive partner that contributes value,” Yusuf Ahmad, MD, an anesthesiologist in Berkeley, Calif., told Becker’s.
Anesthesia teams are taking on greater roles in patient selection, scheduling and perioperative coordination, while CRNA-led models and enhanced recovery protocols are improving safety, throughput and cost performance across outpatient settings.
