In our previous ASA Monitor article, we showed that moving from anesthesiologist-only care to the anesthesia care team may not result in a significant reduction in staffing costs and actually increase the cost (ASA Newsletter 2010;74:30-51). In the intervening decade, the cost analysis of one's staffing model and hypothetical changes in the model continue to be a challenge for anesthesiologists and anesthesiology leaders. Unfortunately, basic errors or omissions in the analysis can lead to erroneous conclusions that can ruin a well-functioning facility for many years. Therefore, in this article, we discuss the issues that need to be considered when doing a cost analysis as well as updating our previous evaluation of moving from anesthesiologist-only to anesthesia care team staffing. A discussion of how to determine the best staffing model is beyond this article (ASA Monitor 2022;86:14-5; ASA Newsletter 2013;77:10-3).
The World Health Organization and World...
