Atlanta — (October 3, 2011) 

Sharecare announced today that the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has joined their robust network of experts to help answer patient questions about anesthesia experiences. ASA is an advocate for patients who require anesthesia care in a variety of settings including: operating rooms, surgical centers, intensive care units or pain clinics.

The partnership between ASA and Sharecare enables surgical patients across the country to have access to ASA’s 46,000 members, who can answer questions online related to the perioperative surgical process from start to finish, including: what anesthesia is, pre/post-anesthetic evaluation and treatment, the different types of anesthetics, what to expect during surgery and possible complications that may occur.

"ASA is pleased to partner with Sharecare to provide patients with accurate information they need to know about anesthesiology," said Dr. John F. Dombrowski, ASA chair of the Committee on Communications. "When patients are well informed and prepared for surgery, they are likely to have better medical and anesthesia outcomes."

Each year, an estimated 40 million anesthetics are administered to patients undergoing surgery in the United States alone and more than 90 percent of all practicing anesthesiologists in the United States are affiliated with ASA. As a renowned educational and professional association, ASA will now bring their knowledge and expertise to Sharecare.com in an effort to increase awareness about anesthesiology, educate patients and their families about the process and improve patient care.

“With the addition of ASA to Sharecare’s expert network of health and wellness professionals, patients now have easy access to information about anesthesia and credible physicians that can address their concerns and prepare them for surgery,” said Jeff Arnold, chairman and chief architect of Sharecare. “We hope that by providing patients with a reliable online resource where they can find answers to their most pressing health concerns will empower them with the tools to improve their overall health and wellbeing.”

Visit ASA's page on Sharecare.com: http://www.sharecare.com/group/american-society-anesthesiologists.

SHARECARE
Launched in 2010 and based in Atlanta, GA, Sharecare's mission is to greatly simplify the search for high-quality healthcare information and answer the world’s questions of health. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, in partnership with Harpo Studios, HSW International, Sony Pictures Television, and Discovery Communications, the Sharecare interactive social Q & A platform allows people to ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness. The company's innovative approach provides a wide array of expert answers to each question ranging from hospitals to M.D.s to non-profits to health care companies to active health consumers, ultimately creating a community where healthcare knowledge is built, shared and put into practice.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com

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