Washingtonians Overwhelmingly Want Anesthesiologists to Oversee Nurse Anesthetists and Respond to Emergencies to Ensure Patient Safety

Washington, D.C. – When informed of the background, education and training of an anesthesiologist versus a nurse anesthetist, people living in Washington, D.C., want anesthesiologists to administer anesthesia during surgery. The District of Columbia Society of Anesthesiologists (DCSA) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) strongly oppose Council Bill 25-545 that would eliminate the long-established requirement that a physician oversee anesthesia administered by nurse anesthetists and would allow these nurses to perform pain medicine procedures. Council Bill 25-545 jeopardizes the safety of Washington, D.C., patients who need anesthesia care. Bill 25-545 is scheduled for mark up in the Committee on Health at 3:00 pm on Thursday, March 21.

In a survey of 400 registered voters in Washington, D.C., conducted this month, it found that Washingtonians clearly want a physician to oversee nurse anesthetists and handle medical complications in an anesthesia emergency.

• An overwhelming 85% of Washington, D.C., voters responded that it is important for nurse anesthetists administering anesthesia to be overseen by an anesthesiologist.
• If having surgery, 78% of voters want an anesthesiologist to administer anesthesia or respond in a surgical emergency.
• 73% of voters said if they knew the hospital in which they were planning to have surgery did not have an anesthesiologist, they would go to another facility with the same surgeon to have an anesthesiologist administer anesthesia.
• When informed of the education and training associated with an anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist, 72% of voters want an anesthesiologist to administer anesthesia and manage their pain after major surgery.
• Of respondents, 70% of voters said that Washington, D.C., law should continue to require anesthesiologist oversight of nurse anesthetists.

“Physician involvement in surgery ensures patients receive safe, high-quality care,” said DCSA President Cathy Cao, M.D., FASA. “The people of Washington, D.C., deserve no less than their neighbors in Virginia and Maryland. More importantly, it is what Washingtonians want for their health care.”

“Despite advances in medicine and patient safety, surgery and anesthesia are inherently dangerous,” said ASA President Ronald L. Harter, M.D., FASA. “Anesthesiologists are highly skilled medical experts who have the education and training to make critical decisions in a medical emergency. People want a physician to administer their anesthesia and respond when there is an emergency.”

Anesthesiologists are physicians who have up to 14 years of postgraduate medical education and residency training, which includes 12,000 -16,000 hours of clinical training, nearly seven times more training than nurse anesthetists. During surgery, a patient emergency can happen fast requiring an immediate medical diagnosis and action plan. Physicians are medically trained and educated to make these split-second lifesaving decisions. Nurse anesthetists are not.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) could not discern “whether more complex surgeries can be safely managed by CRNAs.”

Nearly everyone in the U.S. –– 95% of the population live in states where a physician-led model of anesthesia care is practiced and all the US News and World Report top-rated hospitals in our country use the team model of anesthesia care with oversight by anesthesiologists. Not one of our nation’s top-rated hospitals allows nurse-only anesthesia care.

Additionally, there are no cost savings for patients in Washington, D.C., to receive anesthesia by a nurse anesthetist without physician oversight or involvement. Council Bill 25-545 provides no benefit and could mean the difference between life and death.

Survey respondents were randomly selected from the latest list of registered voters in Washington, D.C., and the results represent a cross-section of voters across all wards. The margin of error associated with a survey of this size is +/-4.9%.

About the District of Columbia Society of Anesthesiologists
The DC Society of Anesthesiologists (DCSA) represents more than 300 physicians and AA’s practicing in the District of Columbia. The mission of DCSA is to communicate the scope and value of the anesthesiologist to the public, to monitor and promote public policy to enhance patient care, and to serve as an advocate for anesthesiologists and their patients.

About the American Society of Anesthesiologists
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research, and scientific professional society with more than 57,000 members organized to advance the medical practice of anesthesiology and secure its future. ASA is committed to ensuring anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of all patients before, during, and after surgery. ASA members also lead the care of critically ill patients in intensive care units, as well as treat pain in both acute and chronic settings.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about how anesthesiologists help ensure patient safety, visit asahq.org/MadeforThisMoment. Like ASA on Facebook and follow ASALifeline on Twitter.

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