Cost effectiveness analysis of anesthesia providers.

Anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists provide high-quality, efficacious anesthesia care to the U.S. population. This research and analyses indicate that CRNAs are less costly to train than anesthesiologists and have the potential for providing anesthesia care efficiently. Anesthesiologists and CRNAs can perform the same set of anesthesia services, including relatively rare and difficult procedures such as open heart surgeries and organ transplantations, pediatric procedures, and others. CRNAs are generally salaried, their compensation lags behind anesthesiologists, and they generally receive no overtime pay. As the demand for health care continues to grow, increasing the number of CRNAs, and permitting them to practice in the most efficient delivery models, will be a key to containing costs while maintaining quality care.