Cost Benefit Analysis of Anesthesia Providers within Gastroenterology Outpatient Practices

Anesthesia delivery in ambulatory and office-based settings has seen significant growth in the last 25 years. The advances in effective short-acting anesthetic drugs, combined with the rise in demand for minimally invasive surgery, allows for an increase in the number of surgical procedures to be achieved outside the hospital setting. Ambulatory anesthesia promotes patient health by reducing recovery times. It also contributes to sustainability by lowering costs otherwise associated with overnight hospital stays. Patient preferences for minimally invasive outpatient surgery, and faster recovery times have spurred an increased demand for business relationships between modern medical practices and anesthesia providers. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are qualified to administer ambulatory anesthesia in all settings.However, there is a general lack of understanding of the costs and benefits related to anesthesia within small businesses. This DNP author’s decade of experience within Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) instructs that ASCs lack decision-making tools for the cost-effective addition or subtraction of anesthesia providers. This project aims to answer the question: “What financial framework would empower the modern Gastroenterology outpatient marketplace to effectively add CRNAs to the medical team?” The purpose of this project is to transform ASC profitability and sustainability by proposing a framework including costs/benefit analysis, tipping points, sensitivities, and service requirements for employing CRNAs. Analysis will result in empowering ASCs to make evidence-based decisions regarding how patient throughput contributes to CRNA profitability for small businesses.