Every day, every member of our society has an opportunity to increase public awareness of our specialty. It’s an opportunity we may overlook or take for granted, but every interaction with our patients has extreme value. These interactions, even the brief ones, can affect our cumulative perception and make a difference.
ASA is committed to helping enhance all of our communications efforts. A few years ago, our largest educational endeavor – When Seconds Count – was launched to advocate for patient-centered, physician-led care and the best possible outcomes for all patients. The initiative included new messaging based on compelling research that introduced the need for the use of the term “physician anesthesiologist.”
The research had found nearly six in 10 Americans did not know that an anesthesiologist is a physician, and many policymakers also were unaware. The public and policymakers did not know the essential role physician anesthesiologists play in...
