美国：麻醉医师术前探视患者十分必要

根据芝加哥大学的的一项新研究发现，当患者在手术前得到负责他们的麻醉师探视的时候，患者安全感与满意程度大大增加从而降低医疗成本。

这项为期6个月的研究包括了4,016例手术患者。那些进入手术室前得到麻醉师探视的患者，取消手术以及手术延期的比例都比较低；而取消手术以及推迟手术都会导致患者不满，并且增加医疗成本。

尽管手术前需要麻醉师探视的患者通常更加虚弱，手术更加复杂，但是这些患者只有7.7％取消了手术；而那些手术前没有麻醉师探视的患者有19％取消了手术。

芝加哥大学麻醉师David B. Glick医生说：“从患者角度而言，麻醉师探视提供了一个患者与麻醉师以一种放松方式来探讨各种问题以及各种非急需处理措施的机会，而患者所有问题都可以得到回答。这些探视还允许麻醉师对患者病情进行彻底评估，以及进行各种必要的术前检查。这些结果很少能够延缓或者取消手术。

目前在美国，政府以及私人保险业者并不承担麻醉师术前探视的费用，因此当外科医生提出患者需要这样的探视的时候，麻醉医师自己承担费用。该研究结果在2004年10月美国拉斯维加斯举行的美国麻醉医师年会上做了报道。

Anesthesiologist Visit Urged Before Surgery
 
When patients see their anesthesiologist before surgery, it can increase patient safety and satisfaction and reduce healthcare costs, according to a new study from the University of Chicago (IL, USA).

The six-month study involved 4,016 surgical patients. Those patients seen by anesthesiologists in preoperative clinics before their surgery had fewer surgery cancellation rates and delays, which lead to dissatisfied patients and increased costs.

Even though the patients who did received a preoperative evaluation by an anesthesiologist tended to be sicker and in need of more complex procedures, only 7.7% of procedures for these patients were cancelled, compared to a 19% cancellation rate for patients not seen by their anesthesiologist before surgery.

“For the patient, the visits provide an opportunity to talk about options for anesthesia in a relaxed and unhurried setting and have all their questions answered,” explained David B. Glick, M.D., an anesthesiologist at the University of Chicago. These visits allow anesthesiologists to complete a thorough evaluation of the patients and order any presurgical tests indicated. This results in fewer delayed or cancelled surgeries.

Currently in the United States, government and private insurers do not reimburse for visits to an anesthesia preoperative clinic, so when surgeons refer patients to such a clinic, the anesthesiology groups bear the cost. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Las Vegas (NV, USA) in October 2004.