In its proposed revisions, Florida 64B 8-9 states that in a facility where conscious sedation, major regional anesthesia and general anesthesia are being administered, the personnel administering the anesthesia cannot be involved in the surgical procedure. In addition, where supervision of nonphysician personnel is involved for general anesthesia, the physician, dentist or podiatrist cannot be simultaneously involved in the procedure. This raises the bar of anesthesia care higher than had existed previously. Regulations such as these are testimony to the increasing concern, by both the lay and professional community, about maintaining patient safety when it comes to anesthesia in a physician's office. It is critically important that anesthesiologists actively participate and lead the campaigns to ensure that the quality of anesthesia care will not vary because of the setting in which the anesthetic is administered.
Accreditation permits a practice to demonstrate that it provides a certain level of care.
Patients and payers aware of safety concerns will be increasingly evaluating their choices based on objective data like accreditation and quality reports. Review criteria vary among these bodies but generally address the care of patients, qualifications and training of the staff, equipment maintenance, documentation and quality improvement efforts. Since few states require accreditation, offices will usually seek accreditation for financial incentives or professional competition. 9 Class A offices provide topical or local anesthesia only for minor procedures. Class B facilities offer intravenous analgesia, sedation, dissociative medication and regional anesthesia.