The physician standard in anesthesia care
Every figure on this page names a checkable source. It is the record on physician anesthesiologist training, the peer-reviewed evidence on outcomes, and the reach of the specialty across South Carolina.
A physician's depth of training
A physician anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who has completed medical school and a residency in anesthesiology before practicing independently.
of education and training, including medical school and residency, to specialize in anesthesia care and pain control
12,000 to 16,000 hours of supervised clinical training in anesthesia care
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment Policymaker Brochure (2020). (https://madeforthismoment.asahq.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/MFTM-Policymaker-Brochure_FINAL.pdf)
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment: Health Care Executives. (https://madeforthismoment.asahq.org/mftm-healthcareexecutives/)
An evidence-based record on outcomes
Anesthesia has become dramatically safer over the past several decades, thanks to monitoring standards, safety protocols, and training that physician anesthesiologists pioneered.
attributable to anesthesia for healthy patients undergoing minor or moderate surgery (Merry & Webster, 2009)
fewer failure-to-rescue deaths per 1,000 patients who experienced a complication when care was directed by a physician anesthesiologist (Silber et al., 2000)
A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Anesthesiology found that when anesthesia care was directed by a physician anesthesiologist, patients were significantly more likely to survive a complication. The presence of a physician anesthesiologist was associated with 6.9 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients who experienced a surgical or anesthesia complication, a measure known as failure to rescue.
More recent evidence points the same way. A 2022 study in JAMA Surgery reported that increasing the number of operations an anesthesiologist covered at once was associated with higher surgical morbidity and mortality, underscoring the value of physician attention and appropriate staffing. A 2023 study in JAMA Surgery found that greater familiarity within the surgeon and anesthesiologist team was associated with improved outcomes after complex cancer surgery.
- Merry AF, Webster CS. Has anesthesia care become safer and is anesthesia-related mortality decreasing? F1000 Medicine Reports. 2009;1:69. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2948295/)
- Gaba DM. Anaesthesiology as a model for patient safety in health care. BMJ. 2000;320(7237):785-788. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1117775/)
- Silber JH, Kennedy SK, Even-Shoshan O, et al. Anesthesiologist direction and patient outcomes. Anesthesiology. 2000;93(1):152-163. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10861159/)
- Burns ML, Saager L, Cassidy RB, et al. Association of Anesthesiologist Staffing Ratio With Surgical Patient Morbidity and Mortality. JAMA Surgery. 2022;157(9):807-815. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35857304/)
- Hallet J, Sutradhar R, Jerath A, et al. Association Between Familiarity of the Surgeon-Anesthesiologist Dyad and Postoperative Patient Outcomes for Complex Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery. JAMA Surgery. 2023;158(5):465-473. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36811886/)
One standard, delivered statewide
Physician anesthesiologists care for patients in every corner of the state, from major medical centers to rural hospitals and surgery centers.
physician anesthesiologists deliver anesthesia care in every county in South Carolina
practicing in South Carolina (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2023, South Carolina (SOC 29-1211, Anesthesiologists). (https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes_sc.htm)
A clear preference for physician-led care
According to an independent survey commissioned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and conducted by Penn Schoen Berland:
want a physician anesthesiologist involved in their surgical care
consider physician anesthesiologists the best qualified to manage complications in the operating room
- American Society of Anesthesiologists, Made for This Moment: Policymakers (survey conducted by Penn Schoen Berland). (https://madeforthismoment.asahq.org/policymakers/)