Key result
Non-board-certified anesthesiologists are linked to ~4 excess deaths per 1,000 cases.
Why the study?
Does anesthesia care provided by board-certified anesthesiologists reduce 30-day mortality and failure to rescue compared to non-board-certified anesthesiologists in Medicare patients?
Population
Medicare patients undergoing surgery (as discussed in the referenced study by Silber et al.)
Comparison
Anesthesia care provided by board-certified… vs Anesthesia care provided by non-board-certified…
Design
Editorial
Follow-up
30-day
Authors
Loading...
Should not yet guide anesthesiologist selection; leaves open causal effects of certification amid omitted variable bias.
Does anesthesia care provided by board-certified anesthesiologists reduce 30-day mortality and failure to rescue compared to non-board-certified anesthesiologists in Medicare patients?
This editorial highlights that while board certification in anesthesiology is associated with lower perioperative mortality in Medicare claims data, omitted variable bias and small sample sizes of non-certified providers limit definitive conclusions.
Fleisher et al. (2002) conducted an editorial in Perioperative risk. Board certification of anesthesiologists vs. Non-board certified anesthesiologists was evaluated on 30-day mortality and failure to rescue. Lack of board certification among anesthesiologists was associated with an estimated 3.8 excess deaths per 1,000 cases, though this finding is limited by potential omitted variable bias.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: