Abstract
Education and training in anaesthesia have traditionally focused on the preparation and delivery of intraoperative anaesthesia but are evolving to incorporate aspects of perioperative medical care. The expansion of continued professional development and postgraduate courses in this field has gathered pace, with the aim of teaching anaesthetists and allied professionals to improve patients' surgical care. We surveyed a population of UK-based anaesthetists to establish their views on professional development within perioperative medicine, their role as perioperative medical experts of the future, and the training and educational needs of this cohort. The majority of anaesthetists acknowledged their evolving role in perioperative patient care and recognised a need to train for the task. Only 50% of the senior anaesthetists surveyed believed they had sufficient knowledge and skills to undertake perioperative care with the majority believing the current training curriculum must advance to support professional development. In line with other international healthcare systems, UK-based anaesthetic practice is adopting a responsibility for perioperative medical practice, and this survey has demonstrated willingness amongst anaesthetists of all grades to embrace change, recognise training needs, and improve the outcome for surgical patients.
Highlights
A growing proportion of patients undergoing surgery are elderly and increasingly have coexistent disease, which may influence outcome [1, 2]
Perioperative medicine is defined as “the continuum of patient care involving preoperative evaluation and preparation, preanaesthetic assessment, intraoperative care, and the management of systems and personnel supporting these activities” [5]. This broader remit for patient care challenges the traditional role of anaesthetic practice and might be considered an opportunity for professional development and even a paradigm shift in the delivery of care
Anonymised questionnaires were designed to answer questions relating to perception of the current and future role of the UK-based anaesthetist, questions relating to training and the desire to become better trained in the area of perioperative medicine
Summary
A growing proportion of patients undergoing surgery are elderly and increasingly have coexistent disease, which may influence outcome [1, 2]. As surgical programmes develop to meet the needs of this population, it is commonplace to see this cohort undergo major surgical interventions, which expose them to a high possibility of perioperative morbidity and mortality [3] Such patients are often cared for within resource-limited healthcare systems, whose continued remits are to drive efficiency and streamline clinical episodes and may be at odds with best care for those patients considered to be at highest risk. Perioperative medicine is defined as “the continuum of patient care involving preoperative evaluation and preparation, preanaesthetic assessment, intraoperative care, and the management of systems and personnel supporting these activities” [5] This broader remit for patient care challenges the traditional role of anaesthetic practice and might be considered an opportunity for professional development and even a paradigm shift in the delivery of care. Against the backdrop of this changing landscape, Journal of Biomedical Education
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