Conducted by Virginia-based The Lewin Group, the study also concluded that while state SOP restrictions and physician supervision do not increase anesthesia safety, they do reduce patient access to quality care and increase costs of healthcare services.
The study examined a database (5.7 million anesthesia cases) that was five times larger than the largest sample used in previous anesthesia outcomes studies. More than 49,000 nurse anesthetists safely provide nearly 40 million anesthetics to patients each year in the United States.
鈥淭he Scope of Practice research in Medical Care is yet another excellent study confirming that CRNAs ensure patient access to safe, cost-effective anesthesia care,鈥� said Juan Quintana, DNP, MHS, CRNA, president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and a nine-year veteran of the Air Force Reserve. 鈥淭he study also lends strong credence to the VHA鈥檚 recommendation to use CRNAs and other APRNs to their full scope of practice because our veterans need and deserve timely access to the safest anesthesia care possible.鈥�
The timing of the study鈥檚 publication in coincides with publication of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) proposed rule in the May 25 which allows Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to provide care to the full extent of their education and abilities in an effort to reduce long wait times for veterans seeking healthcare, a problem that has challenged the VHA for years. The proposed rule is consistent with recommendations from the National Academies of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) and backed by the results of an independent assessment of the VHA health system that was ordered by Congress and published in 2015. The rule is currently in a 60-day comment period ending July 25.
The VHA policy change would allow CRNAs to work 鈥渨ithout the clinical oversight of a physician, regardless of state or local law restrictions on that authority.鈥�
鈥淒espite so much solid evidence to confirm the safety of anesthesia care provided by CRNAs with or without physician supervision, physicians groups nonetheless oppose the VHA鈥檚 plan to help our military veterans. Given that the doctors don鈥檛 have any evidence of their own to support their arguments, their actions are really quite reckless and selfishly put our nation鈥檚 veterans in a most precarious position,鈥� said Quintana.
The VHA proposal is supported by more than 60 organizations, including AARP, veterans鈥� groups, healthcare professional organizations including the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and other APRN associations, and 80 Democratic and Republican members of Congress.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting that the same doctors who argue that they need to be involved in the care of our military veterans don鈥檛 insist on being assigned to the front lines during military actions to care for soldiers horribly injured during battle, leaving this up to CRNAs to handle,鈥� said Quintana. 鈥淪omehow, in their view, that鈥檚 less complicated than caring for veterans stateside. That鈥檚 an affront to any man or woman who has ever worn a uniform in service to this country.鈥�
鈥淪cope of Practice Laws and Anesthesia Complications鈥� was funded by the AANA Foundation.
About the American Association of Nurse AnesthetistsFounded in 1931 and located in Park Ridge, Ill., the AANA is the professional organization for more than 49,000 nurse anesthetists across the United States. As anesthesia specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) safely provide approximately 40 million anesthetics to patients each year for surgical, obstetrical, pain management, and trauma stabilization services. CRNAs deliver essential healthcare in thousands of communities and are able to prevent gaps in access to anesthesia services, especially in rural, inner-city, and other medically underserved areas of the country. They are highly valued in today鈥檚 healthcare environment because they deliver the same safe, high-quality anesthesia care as other anesthesia professionals but at a lower cost, helping to control rising healthcare costs. Additional information about the AANA and CRNAs is available at , , and .
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