Position Paper on Anesthesia Assistants: An Official Position Paper of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society

Abstract

Medical/surgical care has become increasingly complex as both the number and severity of comorbidities have multiplied over the years. At the same time, there have been significant advances in the practice of anesthesiology owing to developments in the education and training of anesthesiologists, an expanded knowledge and evidence base, and remarkable innovations in equipment, technology, and pharmacotherapeutics. Anesthesia services are increasingly provided in remote locations outside the operating room (OR) where there is also a growing need for specialist care in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. This increasing clinical load challenges the ability of anesthesiologists to meet societal needs for both clinical care and academic productivity. The Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society (CAS) is committed to enhancing the quality of care for patients while improving the efficiency of anesthesiologists. Therefore, the CAS has supported the development of the “Anesthesia Care Team” (ACT) concept of care in which the specialist physician anesthesiologist practices with the assistance of a group of medical and paramedical personnel including dedicated, trained and certified Anesthesia Assistants.