The pair lauded the decision and addressed issues of safety, education and cost in anesthesiology.
All anesthesia providers (physicians, CRNAs and dentist anesthesiologists) get high-quality training, the column said. Research shows there’s no difference in patient outcomes.
While physicians have longer education paths and a broader scope of work, CRNAs also receive years of training in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, the column said.
They also have about 10,000 hours of clinical training, and by 2025 program graduates will leave with a doctoral degree.
Anesthesia insurance payments usually don’t cover costs associated with the service, and hospitals have to subsidize anesthesia teams, pulling money from other care, the columns said. On average, physician anesthesiologists also ask for twice the salary of a CRNA.
“Now more than ever, the solution is clear: all health care professionals should be utilizing all their skills to benefit patients,” the column said. “That is why policies like opt-out are backed by the public, researchers, and third-party experts. That is why 20 Democratic and Republican governors across the country (including nearly all states in our region) have made the decision to opt-out. And that is what patients deserve: an accessible, affordable health care system in which providers are not focused on turf, but focused on patients.”
Read the full column here.
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Make your ASC’s anesthesia program more efficient: 5 strategies
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