Development of Obstetric Anesthesia Core Competencies for US Residency Programs Through a Delphi Process

( Can J Anaesth . 2023;70(10):1611–1622. doi: 10.1007/s12630-023-02536-w) Every year in the United States, around 1.15 million cesarean deliveries are performed, emphasizing the critical role of anesthesiologists in clinical practice and the importance of obstetric anesthesia knowledge and skill acquisition on the outcomes of pregnant people, especially given the rising rates of preventable deaths. However, the current framework for anesthesia residency training in the United States primarily follows the guidelines of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Outcome Project, which outlines minimal time requirements and case numbers rather than competency-based metrics in obstetric anesthesia. Using a modified Delphi expert consensus methodology, this study aimed to identify the essential competencies in obstetric anesthesiology for resident trainees and determine the training level at which these competencies should be achieved.