Preanesthetic evaluation in private practice

The preanesthetic evaluation is an essential element of the anesthetic management of a patient. The type of practice, academic or private, should have no bearing on the quality of the evaluation. The practice environment may play a significant role in the type of patient and procedure but should not diminish the quality of care for any particular patient. However the extent, timing methodologies for the preanesthetic evaluation will vary according to patient medical requirements, surgical procedures, resource availability, patient convenience and,perhaps the key element, staffing availability. Each practice environment needs to develop its own solutions. Private practice, especially in the smaller locations,may need to be more sensitive to staffing and personnel issues and patient satisfaction. Technology, especially in the smaller private practice environments where staffing is more likely to be an issue, may greatly facilitate the process and improve the quality. However, technology may require extensive support (time and money) to implement, but the indirect gains should justify the effort.