ASA Past-Prez Neeld Calls For Funding of Comparative Outcomes Studies

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

"For a specialty that prides itself on the primacy of good data, anesthesiology has been woefully lacking in a key area: studies comparing outcomes for patients who receive care from physician anesthetists or their nurse counterparts.

Evidence demonstrating that doctor-led care provides a safety advantage would be an important weapon in the effort by the specialty to ward off what it perceives as mounting gains by certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). So it is somewhat surprising that only a small handful of such studies exist--not all of which were commissioned by anesthesiologists."

http://www.anesthesiologynews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ses=ogst&d=Policy+%26+Management&d_id=3&i=ISSUE%3a+December+2013&i_id=1020&a_id=24534

There are several studies that already address this issue, but I think what Dr. Neeld is hoping is that if the study focuses on ASA 3+ patients then the ASA can find some holy grail of incriminating data.

I guess we shouldn't tell him that the USAF did an informal study like this not too long ago and found no differences, and opt-out states that have increased in CRNA only practices also showed no increase in mortality from anesthesia.

I suspect if this study is done it will either be so skewed it will be non-relevant or it will never be published d/t lack of supporting evidence.