statement on patient care and best practices

Anesthesiologists are physicians who possess an in-depth knowledge of the field of medicine and have spent numerous years specializing in anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, and acute and chronic pain medicine. As Anesthesiologists, our primary mission has always been, and remains, the care and safety of our patients. It is for this reason that the best and safest care team model is a physician-led Anesthesia Care Team (ACT) model. While the peri-operative environment works best when it is a collaborative team, patients deserve to have an Anesthesiologist directing and delivering their care. When patients are given a choice, research has consistently shown that they prefer to have a physician guiding their care.

As for the Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists (WSA), we firmly believe that patients have the right to know who is caring for them. Providers that misrepresent themselves with the misleading use of titles are not serving their patients. Hospitals that choose not to employ Anesthesiologists but instead rely solely on mid-level providers are not providing the best possible care to their patients. Providers that are performing invasive pain procedures without the direct collaboration with a physician trained in pain medicine are not offering appropriate/optimal care. For the WSA, the above concerns are all a matter of patient safety. We wish to protect our patients and future generations by acknowledging that when an Anesthesiologist is not part of the ACT model, the gold standard is not being met. We ask you, what would you want for your loved ones or yourself?

Given the new regulatory landscape in Wisconsin, the WSA hopes this statement serves as a call to action for patients to request to meet their Anesthesiologist. Inquire who will be providing your care when you are at your most vulnerable. Inform your surgeon and hospital that you deserve the highest standard of care, which includes a physician-led Anesthesia Care Team model.

Christina Diaz, MD, FASA, FAAP
President, Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists