Q.
May an anesthesiologist perform preoperative evaluations for patients presenting for surgery later that day, or on future days?
A.
Yes. As long as the area in which the evaluations are performed is easily accessible from any area of the operating suite, the patient services do not prevent the physician from being immediately available to address emergencies in the operating room, and most importantly, “do not substantially diminish the scope of control exercised by the physician in directing the administration of anesthesia to surgical patients,” the anesthesiologist may perform preoperative examinations concurrently while directing anesthesia care.
Q.
What constitutes the “immediate area of the operating suite?”
A.
Differences in the geographic design and size of facilities, differences in the severity of illness, and the complexity and demands of the particular surgical procedures make this distance impossible to universally define. This said, the anesthesiologist must remain close enough to the operating room to return to the operating room, if/when needed, in time to meet the needs of the patient, and most importantly, emergencies that may arise.