ASA February 2003 Newsletter

Communication is the exchange of information between individuals, for example, by means of speaking, writing or using a common system of signs or behavior. The function of the ASA Committee on Communications (COC) is to provide communication among members of ASA and the public according to the policies of the ASA Board of Directors and House of Delegates.

The materials available to ASA members for public education have traditionally been in the form of print media and slide shows with a target audience of our patients and the public. In addition, training sessions such as the Leadership Spokesperson Training Program (LSTP) and the Regional Spokesperson Training Program (RSTP) prepare our members to be more effective communicators. The COC, in conjunction with a number of ASA committees and other specialty organizations, has recently revised, supplemented and updated the materials available for patient and public education. The educational materials available include Web-based PowerPoint® presentations in addition to print media, and there is now an additional emphasis on potential future anesthesiologists.

Patient Education Brochures
The mainstay of our public education materials, and probably most familiar to you, are our public education brochures. The COC has recently revised and updated all of the brochures and plans a biennial review (more often if necessary) to update these materials. Single copies of the brochures are available at no charge, and they may be purchased in bulk at a nominal cost. The brochures now available include:

• “Know Your Anesthesiologist”

• “Anesthesia & You …” newsletter

• “Anesthesia for Ambulatory Surgery”

• “Office-Based Anesthesia and Surgery”

• “Sedation Analgesia”

• “Planning Your Childbirth”

• “When Your Child Needs Anesthesia”

• “My Trip to the Hospital” coloring book

• “The Senior Citizen as a Patient”

• “Considerations for Anesthesiologists: What You Should Know About Your Patients’ Use of Herbal Medicine”

• “What You Should Know About Herbal Use and Anesthesia” patient brochure

• “The Management of Acute, Chronic and Cancer Pain”

Revised Slide Show Series
The ASA Patient Education slide show series also has been revised and updated. Formerly consisting of six different 35-mm slide presentations, the series has been consolidated into four presentations and has been updated with current information and photos. The most notable change is in its format. They are now in PowerPoint format and are Web-based and available through the ASA Web site. The new series includes:

• “What You Should Know Before Anesthesia”

• “Role of the Anesthesiologist During Labor and Delivery”

• “When Your Child Needs Anesthesia”

• “Geriatric Anesthesia”

The COC recently produced a new presentation, “Choosing a Career as a Physician and an Anesthesiologist” and is in the process of producing “The Role of the Anesthesiologist in the Management of Pain,” which should be available prior to the 2003 ASA Annual Meeting.

First-Ever Patient Education Videotape
ASA, in partnership with the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN), is currently producing a patient education videotape that we hope to unveil at the ASA Annual Meeting in October 2003. The purpose of the videotape is to establish a standard for patient education that ensures that each patient receives valuable, consistent and current information about the delivery of anesthesia today. ASPAN, after conducting an extensive review of how various forms of media are being used to educate patients about anesthesia, concluded that videotapes continue to be the most frequently utilized method for relaying information to patients and that there are currently no video materials readily available which deal with this topic. The content of the videotape will provide information about the periprocedure period and will describe the differences in anesthetic technique and what patients can expect in the postprocedure period. It is anticipated that the videotape will be approximately 15 minutes in length.

ASA also offers educational materials targeting potential future anesthesiologists. Currently available in print format are: “The Medical Specialty of Anesthesiology” and “Anesthesiology: Challenge, Diversity, Flexibility, Rewards.” These are now supplemented by the recently released PowerPoint presentation “Choosing a Career as a Physician and an Anesthesiologist.” These materials are aimed at the high school- and college-level student and provide an overview of medical training and the history, training and practice of anesthesiology and will thus be very useful at career fairs and similar venues.

Video News Releases
The COC also is responsible for the video news releases (VNRs) produced by ASA in conjunction with Doctors Day each year. These have been very successful in reaching the public on various health-related issues. VNRs target television viewers and have addressed the use of herbal medications, office-based anesthesia, pain medicine and pediatric anesthesia.

ASA is supplying its members with a number of resources and means to communicate effectively. These materials are meant to assist our members in getting key messages to patients, the public, nonanesthesiologist colleagues and legislators. Many individuals have spent a considerable amount of time and effort in making these materials available to you. The COC welcomes your input on how to improve the content or the format.

Remember, communication is the exchange of information between individuals by means of speaking, writing or using a common system of signs or behavior. It is not static; it is constant. It is not limited to a one-hour presentation or a 15-minute videotape. Our educational materials can only supplement the message that you, our membership, convey each moment of every day. In my opinion, these spoken and unspoken messages leave a far more lasting impression on people.

Michael H. Entrup, M.D., is Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Massachusetts.

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