What Should Anaesthesia Technologists Do? Identifying Entrustable Professional Activities for Anaesthesia Technologists: An Exploratory Two-Round Modified Delphi Study

Abstract Background Anaesthesia technologists are recognised in many countries and work under professional associations and regulatory bodies, yet there is no agreed set of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the role. Bachelor of Science (BSc) programmes in anaesthesia technology began to appear in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, and anaesthesia practice has since extended past the operating theatre to sedation services, intensive care units and pain management clinics. This exploratory study aims to identify preliminary list of candidate EPAs for undergraduate anaesthesia technology education. Methods We conducted a two-round modified Delphi study with practising anaesthesia technologists and anaesthesiologists from eight countries. In Round 1, an open-ended questionnaire generated task statements, which were analysed thematically and consolidated into Entrustable professional activities. In Round 2, panellists rated each EPA activity on a four-point importance scale. For each item, we calculated a normalised importance score, the percentage of panellists who rated it 3 or 4, and the median and interquartile range (IQR). Results Twenty panellists (19 anaesthesia technologists and one anaesthesiologist) completed Round 1, and 14 completed Round 2. Round 1 produced 64 task statements, which were consolidated into 20 candidate EPAs. Eighteen of the 20 activities met the post consensus criterion of at least 75% of panellists rating the activity 3 or 4 on the four-point scale; conducting handover and documentation and assessing discharge criteria from the post-anaesthesia care unit did not (71.4% each). Five activities had a normalised importance score of 95% or higher: assisting with airway management (100%); assisting in the management of anaesthesia complications during the operation, assisting in the management of airway complications during the operation, and preparing and administering intravenous fluids, blood and blood products (98.2% each); and preparing the operating theatre for different types of anaesthetic procedure (96.4%). One high-scoring activity, continuing education and knowledge update, was judged on conceptual grounds to be a professional responsibility and not an EPA. Conclusion This study offers a preliminary, practitioner-generated list of candidates entrustable professional activities for anaesthesia technologists. The items are not yet fully specified EPAs. Further consensus rounds with a broader, multidisciplinary panel, complete EPA descriptions and testing in the workplace are needed before the list is used for curriculum design or entrustment decisions.