TITLE:
Professional Staffing Practice of Academic Anesthesia Departments in the United States
AUTHORS:
Steven Ginsberg, Jonathan Kraidin, Christopher Gallagher, Don R. Hoover, Alann Solina
KEYWORDS:
Off Site; Case Load; Patient Safety; Inadequate Staffing; Non Clinical Time
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Anesthesiology,
Vol.3 No.4,
June
4,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Background: Academic anesthesia departments are
under increasing financial pressure. Many struggle to integrate the priorities
of their academic and clinical missions. Previous studies have documented
increasing need for monetary institutional support of academic anesthesia departments. In view of
current economic and legislative circumstances, it is arguable that the need
for support will grow. This survey demonstrates that staffing issues, which are
most likely engendered
by financial circumstances, have impacted academic anesthesia departments in
the United States to the point of having
deleterious effects upon clinical safety and resident education.Methods: After IRB
approval, we electronically
solicited the anonymous response to a 23 question survey from all 133
chairpersons of academic anesthesia departments in the United States. Results: Sixty-two
responded electronically, for an overall response rate of 46.6%. Conclusion: The results of
this survey suggest that academic anesthesia departments are being financially
stressed to the point that education and patient care are affected.