The anesthesia workforce in the U.S. is facing a significant imbalance between supply and demand, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and has led to compromised access, quality, and safety, as well as financial instability for health care systems.
The number of facilities reporting a shortage doubled from 35% before the pandemic to 78% 2 years after the pandemic, according to an article published in Anesthesiology.
Several key factors contributed to the increasing demand for anesthesia services, including an aging population, with more than 58 million Americans aged 65 or older in 2023, noted study authors. This constituted 17.3% of the overall population, with the cohort expected to increase to approximately 90 million by 2050.
As of December 2023, there were an estimated 138,000 anesthesia providers in the U.S., according to the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System. The Center for Anesthesia Workforce Studies estimated that almost 4,800 anesthesia professionals left the workforce in 2022, while approximately 5,200 entered the workforce from training programs in 2023. Despite this net increase, the demand for anesthesia services continues to outpace supply due to factors such as the rising number of procedures and increasing medical complexity.
To address this imbalance, the authors proposed a multifactorial approach involving both short-term and long-term strategies, such as increasing training positions and retention policies, improving capacity through innovations, leveraging technology, and addressing financial constraints. For instance, Medicare payments for anesthesia services have not kept up with inflation and practice expenses, with Medicare physician pay increasing just over 9% since 2001, compared to a nearly 73% increase in the consumer price index.
Closer collaboration between anesthesiologists, hospital administrators, and health care stakeholders is needed to develop sustainable solutions that prioritize long-term investments in the future of the specialty, recommended the study authors. The American Society of Anesthesiologists must maintain a consistent focus on the workforce and continue to convene annual stakeholder summits to review trends, monitor progress, and modify strategies as needed.
Full disclosures on competing interests can be found in the article from Anesthesiology.