Anesthesia Services: The Assembly Line Model
Anesthesia services utilize several types anesthesia professionals:
in staffing models that include:
For procedural sedation there is also increasing interest in the anesthesia professional free model were medications traditional reserved for anesthesia professionals, propofol for example, are given by protocol or device driven protocols by other medical professionals.
The wisdom of using any or all of the models above can be debated. There is one fundamental issue that cannot be avoided. Whatever name is given to a staffing pattern, aren't they actually based on the assembly line model? We are not making widgets or Fords, but there is sense that it is possible to replace any component with another that is hopefully more efficient and at lower cost.
When the component to be replaced is an anesthesia professional, the concept that one individual simply replacing another is very egalitarian, but does it work? I suppose it's the American way. But does it work? Human resource management is critical to any anesthesia service to put the "right people in the right place at the right time." But first you need to be able to objectively describe, the "right person", the "right place", and the “right time.” Recruiting and retention are important functions, but changing the staffing model in an anesthesia service is a critical HR function, not solely an income statement or balance sheet issue.
Take Home Points:
- Are anesthesia service models based on assembly line concepts?
- Changing the staffing model in an anesthesia service is a critical human resource issue, not solely an income statement or balance sheet concerns.
- Objectivity is required when recruiting and retaining any anesthesia professional