Reagan Hughes - Anesthesiology

 Bringing Anesthesia to Every Operating Room

Anesthesiology is the field of medicine that is centered on the relief of pain endured in patients throughout the perioperative period; the time before, during or after a surgical procedure has undergone. The introduction of anesthesia into the surgical process was first demonstrated as early as 1846 and has since evolved into an integral part of countless surgeries. Used amongst various specialists, patients are now able to be insensible to pain in the perioperative period, a development that has transformed surgeries across the world and is used every day in the estimated 60,000 surgical procedures that patients nationwide undergo.

However, findings show that recently there has been a shortage of anesthesiologists in the United States, and since anesthesiology is now more than ever an essential component of modern healthcare, the shortage is creating challenges for patients and hospitals themselves to meet this ever-growing demand.

The reasons behind this shortage are found to be the: “lack of sufficient graduate medical education funding for residency positions, changes in practice patterns and the aging and retiring workforce are limits to the supply,” (Mendezes, 2019). This growing imbalance between the supply and demand of anesthesiologists introduce complex challenges for the U.S. healthcare system. Furthermore, due to the spread of COVID-19 nationwide, surgery and other procedures are now at a staggering height. Facilities are reporting an anesthesia staffing shortage increasing from 35% in 2020, before the pandemic, to 78% in 2022.

The anesthesiologist shortage is an urgent issue, one that requires immediate attention. As the medical community continues to grow, we need to take the necessary steps towards a reliable future.



 

Sources used: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949916X2400001X, https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2024/06/anesthesia-workforce-shortage-poses-threat-to-health-care,

https://dpianes.com/addressing-the-anesthesia-provider-shortage-with-urgency-and-unity/,

https://www.jeffersonhealth.org/clinical-specialties/anesthesiology, https://medpli.com/specialties/anesthesiologist-medical-malpractice-insurance/


 

 



              

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